


The Sapphic Sands of Zanado

by cathrheas



Series: The Sapphic Sands of Zanado [1]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: All of the tension, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cunnilingus, Eventual Smut, F/F, Hot Springs & Onsen, Literal Sleeping Together, Love Confessions, Medieval Sex Toys, Post-Game(s), Sexual Inexperience, Sparring, Spoilers, Tension, The archbishop does not fuck, Vaginal Fingering, i love cliches :), its that, just a few, rhea went thru decades of loneliness and guilt do u ever think abt that, sexual and romantic, until now, well i do., y'all ever heard of a feeldoe?, you know the usual 'getting horny while sparring' fire emblem trope
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-04
Updated: 2019-09-22
Packaged: 2020-10-06 20:41:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 24,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20513189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cathrheas/pseuds/cathrheas
Summary: Five years after the end of the war, Catherine receives a letter from the ex-archbishop, inviting her to stay in the Red Canyon for a week.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Based off of some endings, and also very loosely based off of this copypasta:
> 
> "I'm not gay but I want to live in a log cabin in the woods with Russell Wilson. We won't ever have sex, but there will be a simmering erotic undercurrent as I stand in the kitchen window watching him tighten his ass as he chops wood, shirtless, sweat pouring off his body. I'll run upstairs and masturbate, the entire time forcing myself to think of women while my thoughts drift back to Russell. I won't be able to climax and I'll eventually go back downstairs, angry. Sometimes we will look across the table and catch each other's eyes, and in that second, anything is possible, but we both deny ourselves and go back to what we were doing. One day one of us will die, and the other will bury him outside the log cabin. Then he'll go inside, pen a brief missive to his departed friend, and commit suicide, never able to deal with life without his one true platonic love."

Zanado, although it had no significance to Catherine, was a land that rustled with magic. The dirt tingled upon one’s fingers, as if to remind them that they were walking holy land. The name, when said, made one feel like it was purely mythical. Catherine couldn’t believe she was there, even as she walked its ground.

It was vast in Catherine’s eyes, but to Rhea, it was familiar. Catherine could tell from her letter. _ Take a left at the split cactus near the river. When you come to three boulders, stacked one upon another, then you know you’re close. _ In the heat, some of the instructions weren’t so clear. Catherine was dizzy, heat exhausted. She had a week’s worth of clothing with her, along with Thunderbrand and her armor. She didn’t anticipate needing it, but it was a safety blanket.

After all, she didn’t know what to expect from Rhea. She hadn’t seen her in years, since the war had ended. Catherine had aged well, she thought, but she still wondered if Rhea would see her the same way.

_ Not like she saw me any particular way before she stepped down, _ Catherine thought wryly. Really, she wasn’t expecting anything in particular from her coming days with Rhea. She just wanted to _ see _ her. A significant amount of time out of Catherine’s life had been dedicated to Rhea...and then Rhea disappeared to Zanado, requesting that she be left alone. The letter came as a surprise to Catherine, asking her to come stay for a bit, but it wasn’t unwelcome.

Catherine followed every step in Rhea’s directions to the letter, although she had to backtrack a few times to find the landmarks Rhea was pointing out. The canyon was so vast, Rhea remarked, that simply heading in a cardinal direction would do no good. Rhea’s directions seemed convoluted at times, but just as the sun reached its highest point, threatening to wipe Catherine out completely, she saw Rhea’s cottage in the distance.

From the outside, it looked quite humble. It could still fit a four-person family, Catherine thought, but it was nothing compared to the grand way of living Rhea had likely gotten used to. Seteth and Rhea had built it, Catherine had heard, but Seteth returned to the monastery, while Rhea did not.

Catherine slowed as she got closer. Even from afar, she could see someone moving within. A flash of emerald hair, a glimpse of white fabric. Catherine wanted to break into a run, to see her at once, but contained herself. Slow, steady steps. 

There was a large hill surrounding the cottage, and when Catherine descended it, she realized that it provided a great amount of shade. It was still hot, no doubt, but the sun wasn’t beating down on her as it was before. There was a well a few yards away from the cottage, and Catherine wanted to drink from it, but she had more pressing matters to attend to. 

Catherine couldn’t see Rhea anymore. She began to wonder if it was merely a hallucination. Still, she approached the door, panting as she pulled her hair away from her face. She knocked five times, then wondered if she was too insistent. Even if she was, there were a few long moments before Rhea appeared.

When she did, Catherine recognized her instantly. It was a surprise to her, for some reason. Of course she wouldn’t forget the face of her liege, and yet...she didn’t understand how Rhea looked the same. Bright hair, well-kept, looking as beautiful and green as her eyes. She wore a white dress with white leggings underneath, all leading down to brown boots that were coated in dust. She hadn’t changed a bit.

“Lady Rhea,” Catherine whispered. Her throat was dry. She wasn’t used to not talking to people for a long time, but the canyon was large and lonely, and she had navigated it on her own. She cleared it, then tried again, but she coughed.

“My goodness, Catherine,” Rhea replied. She took Catherine’s hand, leading her inside. “Have a seat. I will fetch water.”

Catherine panicked a little, knowing that Rhea was going to leave again. But the well was right there, Catherine reminded herself. She wouldn’t be gone long. Catherine lowered herself into the chair at Rhea’s table. There was only one. There was a couch, but Catherine didn’t feel like moving to it.

When Rhea swept out of the door, Catherine began to take in her surroundings, looking around as her eyes adjusted. It was cozy, not at all impersonal. Even still, Rhea adorned things with the Crest of Seiros, like a throw blanket and a decorative pillow. Catherine looked over at the table. Rhea was in the middle of sewing something. On the other side of the cottage, there was a door, slightly cracked. Catherine could see one of the bedposts. After twisting in her seat, Catherine could see the back of the cottage, where clothes were hanging to dry.

Catherine hummed. Rhea was really living simply. It must have been a shock to her system to switch up so quickly.

Rhea came back in, the floorboards creaking under her boots. She filled a glass with the water from the well, and Catherine took it eagerly. It was cool, almost ice-cold to her dry throat. When she set it down, Rhea filled it up without a word. They continued like that until Catherine shook her head. Then, she smiled. “Thanks.”

“It is certainly difficult to travel through the Red Canyon, especially this deep. Seteth fares better, with his wyvern, but on foot...I do not envy you,” Rhea said. She poured herself a glass of water as well. Catherine watched her put the cup to her lips, watched her throat move as she swallowed it. Rhea seemed_ human. _ Catherine had always put her above others, revelled in her like she was a god.

But there Rhea was, drinking water. Like anybody else.

“Five years, now,” Catherine said. Her voice was starting to sound normal again. Rhea raised her eyebrows, and Catherine continued. “Since you stepped down. Ten since—”

“Right,” Rhea said. Her voice was distant. She plucked at the hem of her dress, then looked out of the windows. The windows were really just squares that had been masterfully cut in the walls of the cottage. Nothing more than a hole to the outside world. “How...how is everything? At the monastery? Seteth updates me regularly, although he doesn’t visit as often.”

“I don’t really know.”

“You don’t?”

Catherine poured herself more water. “I’m not at the monastery anymore. I was...really only there for you.”

“I see.” Rhea seemed surprised. Had Catherine’s devotion not been clear? “How did my letter reach you, then?”

“Seteth, I guess. The mail at the monastery probably goes through him, now. He sent it to where I was.”

“And where were you?”

“Faerghus. At the time. I’ve been...wandering,” Catherine said.

“I see,” Rhea repeated. Was she offended that Catherine hadn’t stayed at the monastery? There was nothing left for her there. Why would she stay? “I considered a life like that, for a while. But you...you are more of a wandering spirit. I could never. Especially not with the name I have made for myself.”

Catherine scoffed. “Lady Rhea, I’ve definitely made a name for myself, too.”

“Yes, but yours is one of strength. One of a savior. Mine...” Rhea cringed. “Never mind that, Catherine. I invited you as a friend. Would you please speak more plainly to me?”

“All the times I’ve gotten on Shamir for neglecting your title! You can’t seriously be telling me to drop it now.”

“I am merely giving you the option,” Rhea clarified. “If I were to command you to...that would be reinforcing a dynamic I am trying to rid us of.”

Catherine let her words sink in, drinking the water she’d poured. Rhea watched her all the while. When Catherine finished, she nodded. “Alright. I’ll give it a go...Rhea.”

“Thank you. You are much more compliant than Seteth, who...still refers to me as the archbishop on accident, at times,” Rhea said. Her voice had a hint of humor, but sadness, as well.

“Who fits the role better than you?”

“Sothis herself.”

Catherine laughed, and so did Rhea. “Fair, fair. I know I said I didn’t know much about the monastery, but...the professor...Sothis, Byleth, whatever. She’s doing a pretty good job, from what I heard. I keep in touch with Seteth, too, y’know. He keeps begging me to come back to the monastery.”

Rhea peaked her hands, curious. “Is that so? That makes a lot of sense.”

“It does? He always hated my guts, I thought.”

“No, no. I mean...he also tries to get me to send you back, no matter how much I insist that I have no power over you.”

“If you told me to go back, I’d go,” Catherine said. Rhea laughed again. “No, La—Rhea, I’m serious. I’d go.”

“Even if I didn’t?”

“Sure. If it’s what you really wanted.”

“Catherine,” Rhea said, tenderly. Then, she sighed. “Never mind. Tell me about your life in Faerghus.”

There wasn’t much to say, Catherine thought. But Rhea seemed interested in Catherine’s gallant tales of knighthood, going wherever she was needed to stop the bad guys and...flex her muscles a little bit, admittedly. Catherine had almost forgotten that Rhea was skilled in the art of the sword, as well as hand-to-hand combat. Rhea knew what battle looked like, tasted like, felt like. Before Catherine knew it, she was recounting her experiences in great detail, while Rhea shared some of her own. 

“Sometimes I forget that you’ve been alive for...uh, forever,” Catherine laughed. “Thank the Goddess I’ve never had to cross swords with you.”

“A lot of those years have been spent as the archbishop, you must remember. And during the war that started ten years ago, I was...I was imprisoned for most of it,” Rhea said, not without pain. “My point is, you have very likely surpassed me.”

“No way. Decades of experience don’t just go away because you sat pretty for a little while,” Catherine said. 

“It is very rare to hear you admit someone could best you in battle,” Rhea teased. Catherine chuckled bashfully, scratching at her head. “But, if you are so eager...after you’ve rested for a bit, I would be glad to see you in battle.”

“Wait. You have a...” Catherine stopped and smacked her head. “Right. The Sword of Seiros. Of course you have that.”

“It’d be foolish to stay out here and be unarmed. Without the Knights to defend me, I must be able to take up arms whenever necessary. I have not had any attempts on my life since I have been here, since I am very well-hidden, but it would not be very hard to deduce my whereabouts.”

“Of course you’d be at Zanado,” Catherine mumbled. “I didn’t think of that before I got your letter.”

“Good, then. Someone with a wit as sharp as yours could not discern my location, which means nobody should be able to.”

Catherine wanted to argue about the merit of her wit, but Rhea seemed rather sure of herself. “So, Zanado. How’s it been?”

“Like home,” Rhea said, with a blissful smile. She began to describe what Zanado felt like to her, and although Catherine had never had a place like that, she felt it too. Rhea claimed she could go miles and miles away from her house and still know where she was. Still, she said there were parts she hadn’t fully explored. “About a fortnight ago, I discovered a hot spring, deep in the canyon. It is quite far from here. I would like to take you, but I am afraid you would find the day too hot and the night too cold.”

“Nonsense! You know I’m sturdy, Rhea. I’d like to see more of the canyon, anyway. I’ll go anywhere, any time of day. Hell, let’s go tonight!”

“Perhaps after dinner,” Rhea said. “It is very easy to become exhausted in the canyon, and it is not a joking matter. You are a guest, Catherine. It would be horrible of me to release you into conditions that would put you in danger. I have gotten used to the weather of the canyon, but you...”

Catherine groaned. “Alright, fine. We’ll see tonight. But I’m gonna feel the same.”

“We will see. We have a few hours until sunset, so things may change. You would be surprised how long heat exhaustion may take to really impact you.”

Rhea said that, but Catherine was riding a high all evening. She almost asked Rhea if she had any liquor around, but that seemed unlikely. Even if Rhea did have something for them to drink, Catherine might have abstained, simply because she didn’t want to make a fool out of herself on her first night there.

_ Five years since I’ve seen her, _ Catherine kept thinking. Rhea didn’t tell anybody where she was except Seteth and Byleth. Even then, Catherine learned, Rhea requested that nobody visit her. As their conversation continued, Catherine began to wonder why it was her that was invited. Seteth only visited on occasion to bring her things he thought she might need, or for the rare friendly visit. Rhea solemnly admitted that Byleth never came because Rhea didn’t think herself worthy.

So, why invite Catherine to stay for a week?

Catherine didn’t bother asking, because Rhea seemed happy. It was rare, back when Catherine was in the Knights of Seiros, that her and Rhea got to have such casual conversation. And Rhea probably hadn’t verbally spoken to someone in months. Catherine had talks with people, sure, discussing the problems they had and how she could fix them. And, yeah, she’d spoken with a few women, for fun, as she travelled. But she’d never spoken to someone who really knew her, like Rhea. It was a nice change from constantly introducing herself to strangers.

Rhea eventually began to make dinner as they spoke; she’d hunted earlier. That surprised Catherine, but then again, it would be hard for Rhea to eat otherwise. Varley territory, Airmid, and even the monastery were close enough for Rhea to go fetch supplies if she needed it, but Rhea didn’t wish to. 

Rhea did well with what she had, though. Catherine would eat just about anything, but Rhea’s cooking wasn’t half-bad, especially with the low variety of wildlife in Zanado. They ate and talked more. Rhea went to get her laundry and get some more water, and when she came back, Catherine noticed that the sun was setting.

“Well? How about that spring?”

“That depends solely on you. I am quite worried, since it is getting a bit chilly, but if you are feeling well enough...”

It was a little nippy. Catherine could only imagine how cold it would get when the sun had finally left. Still, a little cold weather was nothing, and a hot spring sounded like heaven. “I’m feeling like a million gold coins, Lady Rhea. Let’s head out.”

Rhea smiled, then fetched two towels. “It would be dangerous to come back wet when it will be cold,” she explained. They left the house behind. Rhea slipped a dagger into her boot, and when Catherine caught her eyes as she did it, Rhea merely gave her a nod and a sad smile. Catherine was leaving Thunderbrand behind, but she understood the need for protection.

Rhea was silent as they walked. Catherine looked over at her every now and again, and saw that she was looking up at the stars, or looking off into the distant bumps and rolls of the canyon. She really loved Zanado, Catherine realized. She probably had so many memories, good and bad, of that place.

At first, Catherine wondered if Rhea was lost. Just like the letter, Catherine noticed that Rhea had a certain way of navigating that made things seem confusing. Rhea’s step seemed confident, though, her turns sharp and decisive. Catherine followed her without question, and eventually, they came to a deeply carved hole in the canyon. “Woah,” Catherine said.

“Just a little bit farther. The spring is inside.” The dust of the canyon gave way to stone, and it began to warm up as they got deeper inside. Catherine walked at Rhea’s heels, so used to protecting her. When Rhea stopped, Catherine nearly ran into her. “Here it is.”

A few more steps forward and Catherine could see it. It was a pretty sizeable spring, enough for ten people at least. The water seemed to be bubbling with magic. It was sparkly, but a bit cloudy from the steam. Catherine leaned down and splashed it with her fingertips. “What do you think it’s for?”

“I haven’t gotten in, yet. I should have a better grasp of its purpose when I get in. My first guess is healing. It seems to be powered by light magic,” Rhea said.

Catherine blurted out, “Oh, yeah, we’re getting in. Haha.”

Rhea smiled. “You can simply soak your feet if you wish. If it is a healing spring, it should revitalize you. You will need your energy if you wish to explore Zanado while you are here.”

“No, no, I’m fine with getting in,” Catherine said quickly. Then, she began to tap her foot. “It’s just that, uh...I mean, if the towels are for drying off, then we shouldn’t wear them in, right? So...we’re going to have to be naked.”

Catherine had assumed Rhea had overlooked it, but...well, Rhea was no dummy. Of course, she’d already thought of it. “I am aware. Catherine, really, do not feel pressured to get in if—”

“I’m fine with it,” Catherine insisted. “It’s just gonna be weird seeing you naked, since you’re my old boss, and all. I wanted to make sure you were fine with it.”

“I invited you here as a friend. It...is normal for friends to see each other bare and bathe with one another, no?”

“Um,” Catherine stuttered. “Well...c-c’mon, Lady Rhea. You act as if you’ve never had friends.”

“In truth...I have not.” Rhea sounded shocked, like she’d just realized it herself. “When I was leading the church, everyone looked up to me. Even Seteth. There is not much room for friendship, when nobody sees you as an equal.”

“But...before the monastery, when you were still going by Seiros—”

“People heralded me then, too. After all, I was the child of the Goddess,” Rhea said. “I know very many people that love me, of that I am sure. But a friend is something different altogether, to my knowledge.”

Catherine felt sad hearing that, but she wasn’t the kind of person who was sad for too long. “Maybe that’s not a bad thing, then. I’ll be your first friend, right? So we can make a friendship whatever you want it to be. I don’t really mind, so we can get in if you want.”

Rhea seemed relieved. There was an almost child-like amount of happiness on her face. “Thank you. That was embarrassing for me to admit. At least I said it to someone kind like you.”

Was Catherine kind? If she was, she didn’t know it. In the end, she was still just doing all that she did for the sake of Rhea’s happiness. Could they really be friends by Rhea’s definition, then...?

Friends or not friends, it seemed like they were definitely getting into the hot springs together. Rhea carefully removed her boots, moving the dagger to sit inside of it. Catherine did the same, although her dagger was worn on her belt. Her clothes suddenly seemed too heavy for her skin. Shedding them was all she wanted to do: her boots, her socks, her pants, her shirt, her underwear. She dropped them all to the stone floor. 

By the time she looked up, Rhea was already stepping into the spring. Although it seemed to be naturally formed, there was a gentle slope into the deepest part of it that made Catherine wonder if there was any human intervention. Catherine watched Rhea for a moment; she could only see her from behind. Had her hair always been that long, down to her waist? Still, her round butt and wide hips weren’t obscured.

Catherine took off her hair tie, teasing her hair out a bit before stepping in. The water was warm, but not scalding. It seemed to fizz on her skin, something like the dust of the canyon. Catherine heard a gentle splash as Rhea sat. Catherine tried to decide where to sit, but Rhea’s eyes seemed to beckon her. Catherine played it safe, sitting an arm’s length away. When she fully sank into the water, she became aware of how exposed she was, how exposed Rhea was. _ Full frontal, _ she thought, looking down at her breasts. They were nothing to write home about, but she did pride herself on her muscles. She had a hell of a lot of those.

Catherine snuck a glance at Rhea, then saw that her eyes were closed. She looked away, then took a deep breath. Not too loud, so Rhea’s eyes wouldn’t fly open. Then, she looked back over at Rhea. A nice chest, Catherine thought, but she saw that even through Rhea’s clothes. A slim stomach. Rhea had her knees pulled up to her very slightly, so Catherine couldn’t see—

“Do you mind if I sing?”

The water splashed when Catherine jumped, and Rhea looked over in confusion. “S-sorry, you scared me.”

“Oh,” Rhea said, softly. She was looking at Catherine. Like, _ really _ looking. It reminded Catherine of her days in knight school, where everybody was unbelievably horny now that they were away from their parents but too shy to do anything about it. Rhea caught herself, but didn’t say anything. “But...the singing?”

“Y-yeah, that’s fine. You have a great voice, from what I remember,” Catherine said, babbling out of nervousness. “Go right ahead.”

Rhea smiled as a thanks, then began to sing. It was a familiar tune, one that Rhea sang often, undoubtedly written about the Goddess. Or, to her? It wasn’t clear. Whatever its subject matter, Rhea sang it with importance, with love. Her eyes shut again, and Catherine had to stop herself from gazing. Instead, she rested her back against the stone and closed her own eyes, listening to Rhea’s voice. Catherine didn’t know the words, but she tried to follow along.

When the song was over, they reverted back to near-silence, save for Rhea’s humming. Catherine was reluctant to interrupt her, but she eventually said, “So, the magic? What’s up with it?”

“It is definitely a healing spring,” Rhea said. “Of course, Zanado is a holy land. My Mother bestowed upon it great amounts of magic so the land would care for its people. Something like this is not unexpected; I just did not know there was one so close to my home until recently.”

“You call this close?”

“Closer than most things.” Rhea turned to Catherine, looking at her face. Catherine was used to making eye contact with people, but...it was a little harder when there were tits in front of her, just a few inches down. Her ex-boss’s tits, to be clear. “I am not accustomed to seeing your hair like that.”

“Like what?”

Rhea replied, “Out of your ponytail.” Then she reached up, combing it through with her fingers. As she did, her fingers brushed up against Catherine’s earlobe, and Catherine jumped. Rhea pulled her hand back. “My apologies...!”

“No, y-you’re fine. I mean...it’s just hair, who cares?”

“Still, I touched you without thinking.”

“It’s fine, Lady Rhea. Er, Rhea. Don’t sweat it.” Rhea seemed regretful, looking off at the rim of the spring. “My hair’s not quite as long as yours is, though. I bet you put a lot more into taking care of this.”

For a few seconds, Rhea hesitated. Then, she continued to talk. “It takes quite the effort to take care of it, now that I live in Zanado again. At the monastery, there was a lot less dirt and dust to worry about.”

“This stuff probably works on hair, right? The magic water, I mean.” Catherine moved a little closer, monitoring Rhea’s expression. “Look, just do it like this.” Catherine raised some water in her cupped hands, then poured it over Rhea’s head. Some of it went between Rhea’s parted lips, and she sputtered. “Oh! Damn, sorry, Lady Rhea...”

Rhea, to Catherine’s surprise, began to giggle. It was unlike the dignified, dainty little chuckles that Catherine usually heard. It sounded like genuine joy. “Worry not. It is only water, after all. But...I think I might need a little more. This is a lot of hair.”

“I’m on it,” Catherine said. Rhea turned to face her more directly, closing her eyes to keep the water out. Catherine kept pouring the shimmering spring water over her hair, occasionally stopping to move a strand or two out of the way or massage the water in. Rhea was smiling softly as Catherine washed her. She looked...so happy. Catherine’s heart was aching.

“Okay,” Rhea said suddenly. She parted her hair from her eyes, pushing back the excess water. “I think you ought to be washed as well. You travelled quite a ways to get here.”

“I don’t take care of this mop on a regular day, let alone after I’ve walked through canyons.”

“It’s never too late to start.” 

Rhea began to do the same thing, but Catherine kept her eyes open, simply wiping away any drops that got too close to her eyes. She watched Rhea’s breasts as stray water ran down them, off of her nipples, back into the spring. Rhea was more careful with her movements. Instead of dumping it on like Catherine did, Rhea touched her hands to Catherine’s head before she let the water fall out of them. It made for a more intimate experience, and Catherine was swearing at herself for not being more attentive.

“It’s already glowing,” Rhea remarked.

“No way,” Catherine said. She pulled a few strands of her hair in front of her, looking at them closely. “Well, I’ll be damned. This is...really nice.”

“It looked lovely before, but now—”

“Don’t flatter me. I’m pretty good-looking in the face, but my hair could use some work.”

“I’m no expert at this sort of thing, but...perhaps if we moved it this way...let me have a look.” Rhea rose up a bit, on her knees, but Catherine was still sitting on her butt.

And Rhea’s tits were right in front of her.

Whether it was on purpose or not, Catherine didn’t know. Rhea had certainly gotten a lot friendlier since they’d gotten in the water. Maybe Catherine should have been a bit clearer on what friends did and didn’t do. Rhea was focused on her task when Catherine looked up; she was moving Catherine’s hair this way and that, trying to figure out how best to fashion it. It might have been completely innocent. That’s what made Catherine’s urges even worse. Rhea was lonely, and probably had been for three times Catherine’s lifespan. She wanted companionship, not...whatever Catherine was feeling.

But, damn, if Rhea’s nipples didn’t look perfect for sucking. They were pink, and, interestingly, erect. Catherine bit her tongue hard enough to draw blood, trying to punish herself for her thoughts. It would have been so _ easy _ to just surge forward, take one into her mouth, make Rhea moan.

“Hm...maybe something like this?” Rhea was more talking to herself than anything. Catherine reached up, trying to discern where all of the twists and turns and parts were. “Ah...I don’t think you will be able to see your reflection in steamy waters like these. I’ll just put it how it was.”

Rhea sounded a bit disappointed. Catherine found it adorable. Right. The things she wanted from Rhea were unfair. She could already imagine the outcome, if she’d acted on her impulse. Rhea would push her off, look at her with disgusted eyes, and yell at her with that furious (but sort of hot) tone that she got when someone committed sacrilege. Oh, yeah, that was a bad idea. Horny Catherine wasn’t a smart Catherine.

“I’m sure it looked fine,” Catherine said, after realizing that she’d gone silent. “Thanks for the rinse, though.”

“You’re very welcome. It’s the simple things that make one’s day.” Rhea leaned back against the stone, satisfied. That time, her legs weren’t so close to her, and Catherine could see the triangle of green hair between her thighs. Catherine groaned lightly, shutting her eyes and cradling her head in her hand. Was she really not better than that? A little patch of pubic hair and she nearly loses her mind? “Catherine? Are you feeling alright?”

“I’m fine.”

“I know the water is a little warm. We can get ready to leave, if you’d prefer.”

“It’s not the water. I...” Catherine nagged at her lip, thinking. They were two grown women. Catherine could be honest, right? “Look, the truth is, this is a bit overwhelming for me. I’ve kinda looked up to you for all these years, and now we’re, uh, naked together. It’s just a little weird. Nothing against you at all, it’s just a big adjustment.”

That wasn’t necessarily untrue. It was definitely one hell of an adjustment. But Catherine left out the part about her wanting to duck her head underwater and eat Rhea like she was the last piece of food in all of Fódlan. “I understand completely,” Rhea said, nodding sagely. “This...isn’t very standard for friends, is it?”

“It isn’t...unheard of,” Catherine said. 

“Please, do not temper your words for me. I understand that some social practices that I recall may be outdated, if not outright inaccurate. I am not asking for your pity, but merely your patience by reminding you that I...am not very familiar with the constraints of friendship.”

“Really, friends do this. I’m not making it up. It just isn’t that common.”

“I’d say our circumstances are quite uncommon, as well,” Rhea argued. “However, I will not press the issue. If you are truly uncomfortable, we can go back to the cottage.”

“But I _ want _ to stay,” Catherine said. Rhea was good and confused by then, with Catherine contradicting herself here and there. “Look, it’s all good. Sorry for freaking out a bit. It just got to be too much for a second.”

“Too much? What is too much?”

Catherine was known to say a lot of things, but “by the way, Lady Rhea, I’m attracted to you” was not one of them. She still had six days of paradise left with Rhea. She refused to ruin it by letting her carnal desires get in the way. “...You were right. It’s the water. Too hot.”

“I thought so,” Rhea said, but with a healthy amount of suspicion. “That is perfectly fine. You had a long journey here. Let us return to the cottage, where you can rest.”

Rhea stood first, and Catherine watched her as she got out. Catherine took a deep breath, relieved at her escape, and followed after Rhea. They dried off thoroughly (and Rhea, to Catherine’s excitement and chagrin, offered to help Catherine just in case she was too light-headed), then began to head back to the cottage. The air was cool, but not freezing cold. Still, it would have been excruciating if they were soaking wet. Catherine was glad they had the towels.

The walk back seemed shorter than the walk there, but Catherine felt just as tired. When they got in, Rhea lit an oil lamp. “You can change in the bedroom,” Rhea said, as if they hadn’t seen each other naked just a half hour before. Still, Catherine was a bit overwhelmed, and she hadn’t had a moment to herself since Rhea went to fetch water when she first arrived. “It’s a little small. I apologize. I did not anticipate having company when making this house, and Seteth usually sleeps on the couch when he stays.”

“No worries,” Catherine said, although she did begin to wonder what the sleeping arrangements would be. She was even more curious as to how it would work when she opened the door to the bedroom and saw one bed that was clearly only enough room for one person. She didn’t think too much about it, changing her clothes. As she examined her body, she noticed that some of her scars were fainter than they were before. The spring really was for healing. When Catherine came out, dressed in a looser shirt, Rhea was neatly making up the couch, rearranging pillows and sheets. Rhea had changed, too, into a silky pale-green gown. Catherine nodded at the couch when Rhea took notice of her. “Is that my bed for the week?”

“Absolutely not. You are a guest,” Rhea said, feigning offense. “It is mine.”

“Seriously? Come on, Rhea. If Seteth can sleep on the couch, I can, too.”

“Seteth insists upon sleeping on the couch, not out of courtesy, but out of comfort,” Rhea explained. Catherine rolled her eyes. “Truly. The windows out here bring less of a chill than those in the bedroom, and Seteth does not like cold.”

“I don’t either,” Catherine lied. “I’m not kicking you out of your bed. Either we both sleep in it, or I’m taking the couch.”

Rhea blushed in the light of the lamp, fluffing out a pillow for the couch. “The bed is not big enough for two.”

“We can fit in there,” Catherine said. She imagined the bed just as she saw it moments ago, trying to see her and Rhea in it. There wasn’t any way for them to fit but to be...essentially on top of each other. She mumbled, “Wait, uh, maybe not...”

But Rhea didn’t hear her hesitation. If she did, she ignored it. “Alright. If you insist. I will leave the couch as it is, though, in case you change your mind. Then I can easily come out here.”

They were both tired, so putting off sleep was out of the question. Catherine rarely regretted her brash actions, but knowing that Rhea was about to squeeze into a one-person bed with her made her at least second-guess her decision. When Catherine nodded in agreement, Rhea headed off to the bedroom silently, putting out the lamp. The moon was high and large enough that the house wasn’t completely dark, but the atmosphere suddenly felt more serious.

They went into the bedroom, and Rhea sat down on the edge of the bed, somehow looking confident. “I pray this will not make you uncomfortable, Catherine. Since you seemed to be...shaken up by our soak in the springs.”

“It’s different when we’re clothed,” Catherine said. She stood awkwardly. “So, uh...I’m a bit more hefty than you, so if we’re going to do this the way I imagined it, you—”

“I must drape myself across you, correct?”

“Way to wax poetic. Sure, _ drape _yourself across me,” Catherine said, At first, she felt bad for mocking her former liege, but Rhea seemed to find it funny, covering her mouth to hide a laugh.

“Let me move out of your way, so you can lay down first.” Rhea stood, clasping her hands in front of her as Catherine approached the bed. When she laid in it, she realized that it was just a bit larger than a one-person bed, but still not enough for two. She was comfortable, though, even though her shoulders were a bit broad. “If you’re ready...”

“Come on in,” Catherine said. Rhea cleared her throat, looking over Catherine’s body. Catherine wanted to consider it an ogle, but it was most likely just Rhea trying to find the best position to lay in. Once she did, she moved over to the bed and climbed on. At first, she was surprisingly skilled at avoiding Catherine’s bare skin, but she came to realize that it was unavoidable. She laid across Catherine, her head in the crook of Catherine’s neck. One leg was between Catherine’s and the other was settled by Catherine’s hip. “I hope you don’t roll off, or anything...”

“I am a very still sleeper. I can only hope you are much the same.”

“With a day like this, I don’t think I’ll move until it’s time to go back to Faerghus,” Catherine chuckled. Then, she yawned, loud and boarish. “Ah, sorry...but you were right about that canyon heat. It kinda...catches up to you.”

Catherine had her arms folded by her head, but she moved them to pull the covers over her and Rhea. When she did so, a small surge of elation went through her as she realized that _ Lady Rhea was laying on top of her, _ almost _ snuggling _ up against her. Calmly, she moved the covers, then put one arm back up by her head. The other laid limply by her side. She wanted to wrap her arms around Rhea, pull her close to compensate for the chill, but she would let Rhea take the lead. 

And that, Rhea did. It was a small gesture, but she reached up to stroke Catherine’s cheek, her breaths ticklish on Catherine’s neck. “Sleep, my knight,” Rhea said. That title...it was only for novelty, at that point. “I’ll show you more of Zanado tomorrow.”

“Let’s go to the market,” Catherine decided.

“We’ll have to leave early, then.”

“Wake me up whenever you need me to.”

“No, no. Sleep, dear one. Maybe...the next day,” Rhea said. 

Catherine hummed. “Just so you know, Rhea, friends don’t usually do this...I think.”

“I see. Consider it one last request from the archbishop, then. We can be more than friends, just so you can sleep well.”

Catherine wanted to respond, wanted to show Rhea exactly what being more than friends looked like, but Rhea was right. She was tired, and she wanted to sleep more than anything. Rhea went slack against her, started to breathe evenly, and Catherine let her eyes slip shut. The feel of Rhea’s skin and the whispering winds of Zanado lulled her into a deep, deep sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don't you love it when your brother under christ cockblocks you

Catherine stared at the ceiling for a few seconds after she woke up, trying to figure out where she was. Some maiden’s bedroom? An inn? Was she back at the monastery? Then, Rhea stirred atop her, sighing as she did so, and Catherine remembered. She was in Zanado.

A breeze rolled in through the window, bringing surprisingly little dust with it. The wind was quite strong, though. Catherine hadn’t asked about the weather in Zanado besides the sweltering heat and the bone-chilling cold. She made a note to herself to ask Rhea about it when she woke. For the moment, though, Catherine tried to preoccupy herself, not wanting to make herself remember who was laying on top of her. If she did, she’d surely lose her mind. The night before in the spring had already been startling to her. At least Rhea was clothed, at that point.

Although...the nightgown she was wearing was something that Catherine only tentatively called clothing. It went just past Rhea’s hips, and it had a tiny slit up the side. Now, what did a nightgown need a slit for? Catherine was perplexed by it, but fascinated. Without thinking, she ran her finger through the slit, her nail just barely brushing against Rhea’s thigh. Rhea stirred again, and Catherine withdrew her hand.

Moments later, Rhea rose her head, looking at Catherine with sleepy eyes. If she was as disoriented when she woke up as Catherine was, she didn’t show it. “Good morning, Catherine,” she mumbled.

“Morning. How’d you sleep?”

“Quite well,” Rhea said. Was there a hint of mischief there, or...? “You may go back to sleep, if you’d like. I’ll make breakfast.”

“I’ll get up, too. I can help...a little. Besides, I want to get ready for our spar.”

Rhea laughed, moving off of Catherine. Catherine felt a little colder without Rhea’s body heat on her. “I almost forgot about that. You might want to fill up on this meal, then. You may be more experienced, but I am a very persistent fighter.”

Catherine took her at her word. They changed clothes in separate rooms again, which was a bit of a relief to Catherine. She still had a couple of days until it was time for her to depart, and she had to hold it together while she was there.

Together, although Catherine assisted in only menial tasks, they made biscuits and cooked the meat that was leftover from dinner. They ate mostly in silence; Rhea was looking out of the window a lot. Catherine had caught her staring out at the canyon several times. She wondered what was going through Rhea’s head, specifically. Good memories? Bad? Both? Or was she just looking out at the dusty slopes and jagged edges and...thinking?

Catherine became so occupied with watching Rhea that she forgot to eat for a moment. She eagerly scarfed her food down after she came back to her senses, and Rhea laughed. “You have not changed much,” Rhea said evenly.

“A girl’s gotta eat. Now, let’s get down to business,” Catherine said. “Should I throw my armor on, or no?”

“I have wooden swords. There’s no need for armor.” Catherine’s shoulders sagged. “My goodness, Catherine. You truly wanted to duel me with real blades?”

“Well, no,” Catherine said, hesitant. “But...I dunno! Thunderbrand and the Sword of Seiros, clashing in a heated duel?! That would be awesome!”

“I am of the opinion that a true swordswoman can work with any sword.”

Catherine pushed back from the table, folding her arms. “Well, well. The archbishop is getting cocky, I see.”

“Cocky? Never. Arrogance can easily be one’s downfall,” Rhea said. Somehow, Catherine felt like that was another jab at her, but...if she admitted that, then she’d be admitting to being arrogant. And she wasn’t, for the record. “If you are still interested in a duel...”

“I’d never turn one down. Besides, with a different blade, maybe I’ll have a challenge. Fighting with Thunderbrand is child’s play,” Catherine said. She gathered her and Rhea’s dishes. “I’ll take care of these. You break out the swords.”

Rhea smiled, but it seemed a little...sinister. Catherine hadn’t seen Rhea in battle in a terribly long time, and even then, Rhea had the knights to back her up. In a one-on-one, Catherine wasn’t sure how either of them would fare. Still, if she just pretended to be confident, then she’d have to back it up or risk embarrassing herself. It was a surefire way to win. Catherine turned around while cleaning the dishes, and noticed Rhea lifting a few of the floorboards in the corner of the room. Rhea caught her eye, then sighed. “Seteth’s doing. He is the reason why I have these training swords, as well as a few other weapons. He suggested I leave them out of plain sight.”

“He really has a good set up for you over here,” Catherine said.

“At times, I think, ‘oh, how Flayn must be suffering, if this is only a taste of Seteth’s overbearing nature’.”

Catherine howled with laughter. Who knew Rhea had a sense of humor? Catherine put the dishes away, feeling like quite the housewife, but she was back in warrior mode when Rhea handed her a sword. It was light, but it would be enough. Rhea set her sword down for a moment, then braided her hair back. Catherine watched her fingers twist and turn, mesmerized. It was low on her back, but kept her hair out of the way for the most part.

“We all set? Let’s get to it,” Catherine said, pulling on her gloves. Rhea nodded, then opened the front door. Before they could step out, though, a white flash entered the cottage, leaving a feather in its wake. Catherine caught it in her hand, then looked behind her. An owl perched on Rhea’s table, placing an envelope on it before flying out as soon as it came in. Catherine clicked her tongue. “Messenger owls come all the way out here?”

“The poor thing,” Rhea said. “Seteth is cruel for sending letters by a creature like that. Then again, it would be worse to send a human messenger...”

“You wanna go ahead and open it?”

Rhea thought on it for a moment, then shook her head. “It can wait. His letters are nearly the same every moon.”

They stepped outside, and Catherine felt her heart start to race. Catherine’s dream was coming true. Sparring with the hottest girl on the planet? Sparring with Lady Rhea? Could life get any better than that? Even if Catherine lost, she was sure she’d be happy.

She didn’t plan on losing, though.

Rhea suggested they go around the back of the cabin, where the wall of the canyon protected them more from the sun. “Although they often go hand in hand, we are fighting as a test of skill, not endurance,” Rhea reminded. 

“Wherever is fine.”

Once they walked around to the back, Rhea took up her stance, sword in hand. Catherine did the same, then nodded, stepping back. Rhea could have the first swing. “Be gentle with me, please,” Rhea said.

That threw Catherine for a loop. When she spoke like  _ that, _ how could Catherine fight her? Her tone was far from casual or joking. Her voice was...a bit pleading, like it was a genuine request, but also suggestive. Catherine could imagine her saying those exact words, but she was instead splayed out on the bed, looking up at Catherine with big eyes, her legs spread. Oh, man...

Catherine was so distracted that only Rhea’s battle cry could remind her where she was. She raised her sword just in time to block Rhea’s first blow, but it was a heavy swing, and it ruined Catherine’s footing. Catherine had to go on the defense, trying to protect herself from Rhea’s assault. When she finally regained her balance, Catherine managed to land a blow on Rhea’s side, but Rhea hardly flinched.

_ Is she sure this isn’t a battle of endurance?! _

The training sword wasn’t at all foreign in Catherine’s grasp, but it still wasn’t as familiar as Thunderbrand, which left her at a disadvantage. If Rhea was at all uncomfortable with her weapon, she did not show it. Instead, she fought with a brutal sort of grace, with swift movements that had a mysterious sort of power behind them. Catherine couldn’t stop watching the way the muscles in Rhea’s arms tensed before she swung, or the way her lips pulled back into a snarl.

Rhea seemed to be tiring out after a few minutes of a relentless striking, so Catherine decided to go on the offensive; however, Rhea struck just as she did...

And Catherine’s sword split in half.

It was still attached at the middle, but Rhea had caused quite the splinter. Rhea seemed shocked by her own strength, stepping back with widened eyes. “Oh, dear,” Rhea murmured.

“It’s...broken,” Catherine said, in awe. Then, she started to laugh. “Oh, my gods. Rhea, you just split a sword in half.”

“It-it is wooden, after all,” Rhea said. She seemed quite embarrassed by it, as if she didn’t know her own power. “Perhaps they are a bit old. Seteth brought them, so I have no way of knowing...er...”

Catherine tossed her sword aside, then raised her fists. “Alright. Hand-to-hand, then. Show me what you got. You’re pretty good at grappling, right?”

“Quite,” Rhea affirmed. “However, I do not wish to hurt you directly.”

“I can take a couple blows. I’ll tell you when to let up if you  _ really _ hit that hard.”

“Well, if you insist...”

Catherine’s vision of Rhea spun, and then she felt pain in her jaw. It took her a few moments to realize she’d just been knocked upside the head. Rhea stepped back after her first punch, but there wasn’t an ounce of sympathy to be found in her expression, and her hands were still at the ready. Catherine shook her head quickly, whistling. “Alrighty. That was, uh...”

Rhea threw another punch, and that time, Catherine ducked it. “That’s it,” Rhea encouraged. She was talking to Catherine like she was a student back at the monastery. “Do not hesitate to trust your instincts and rely on your reflexes.”

“Alright. Instincts, reflexes. Got it—”

Another jab. That one brushed Catherine’s jaw, but it wasn’t like that first punch. The first hit was always the worst, Catherine thought. They began to trade blows, and Catherine thought she was doing pretty well, until Rhea landed a solid hit to Catherine’s stomach. Catherine lost her balance again, and Rhea took the opportunity. She pushed Catherine to the ground, knocking the wind out of her, then expertly pinned Catherine’s arms to the dirt. Her knee was pressed into Catherine’s chest, leaving Catherine gasping for air.

_ That was fast. _

Catherine looked up, and saw that Rhea was smiling a bit. Not arrogantly, or triumphantly, but a very pleased kind of smile. Catherine grunted, and Rhea let up a bit, her knee lifting. “My apologies.”

“Damn,” Catherine said, breathing hard. “I don’t know what I expected from a Child of the Goddess, but...”

“I got carried away,” Rhea said. There was hardly a drop of sweat on her, but her breath was labored as well. “Thank you, Catherine.”

“You’re thanking me? For letting you kick my ass?”

“No. Well, yes, although I’d word it in more proper terms. But...not just that,” Rhea said. Her grip was still strong, and Catherine had no hopes of moving, even after Rhea moved her knee. “I have been having...fun. Since you got here, that is. It’s been so long since I’ve felt so invigorated. So pleased. It’s been so long since my heart has beat this strongly.”

Catherine looked up in awe, trying to figure out Rhea’s intentions. Catherine had been unsure of what Rhea wanted since she arrived, really. She didn’t even know why Rhea had asked her to stay there. And now, Rhea was on top of her—for the second time that day—and telling her that nobody had ever made her feel the way she was feeling.

Catherine swallowed. Rhea was looking at her expectantly. “I might be reading you wrong, but should we be kissing, or something?”

Rhea chuckled, and for a moment, Catherine wondered if Rhea would pass it off as a joke. But she didn’t. She leaned down, keeping Catherine’s arms pinned, and put her lips to Catherine’s. Catherine opened her mouth without hesitation, and then Rhea’s tongue was on hers. Catherine was passive at first, letting Rhea do as she pleased, but it seemed like Rhea was goading her. A nip here, a suck there. Catherine got more aggressive, sliding her leg between Rhea’s legs. Rhea gladly began to grind against Catherine’s thigh. Under the dress she was wearing, there was nothing but her panties. Her movements were different from the way she moved normally; while she was usually upright, swift, decisive, the roll of her hips seemed jagged and desperate.

Suddenly, Rhea sat up, alert. Catherine did, too, looking around. “What? Why are we stopping?”

“I hear someone...”

Catherine trained her ears. Sure enough, there was the low growl of a wyvern coming from the front of the cottage. Rhea pulled a dagger from her boot (did she always carry that thing?), then walked around to the front. Catherine jumped up, grabbing Rhea’s discarded training sword. It wasn’t much, but it was a weapon. Rhea turned the corner before Catherine did, and Catherine rushed to keep up.

By the time she Catherine was turning the corner, though, Rhea was already tucking her dagger away, and their guest was announcing himself.

“I am glad to see you are prepared. However, there is no need to resort to drawing a weapon on me, Lady Rhea...”

That voice! Catherine sighed in relief. It was Seteth, looking exactly how Catherine had left him. Stern, stiff, and ridiculously serious. Catherine grinned and waved when she saw him. “Man, Seteth, you really scared me! You almost got a taste of my blade.”

Seteth dismounted from his wyvern, removing the many bags he had affixed to it. Rhea seemed worn out at the sight of them. He scoffed at Catherine’s hand. “Your wooden blade? My, I’m terrified.”

“Hey, I’ll work with whatever I have. What’s all this stuff?”

“Fruits, meats, vegetables,” Seteth said, a bit haughtily. “Tea bags. Assorted items to make Rhea’s stay here more pleasurable.” Her “stay”, as if it were temporary. As if Rhea ever wanted to leave Zanado.

“Seteth, I believe I have previously asked you to announce your plans when you intend to visit me,” Rhea said. She sounded calm, but Catherine could hear the rage bubbling beneath her words. The exchange was funnier, knowing they were sort of siblings. Rhea was definitely older, Catherine thought, but with the way Seteth acted, you couldn’t tell.

“I do recall that. That is why I sent a letter informing you of my arrival.”

“When was that?”

“The seventeenth day of last moon. It is the fifteenth day of this moon, the exact day I said I would arrive.”

“I only received a letter from you today. I have yet to read it, but it must be the one you are speaking of now.”

"A letter from the monastery shouldn't take that long," Seteth said. Then, after a beat, he added, “Not that I doubt you. I just cannot help but wonder why there was such a delay. I did find it strange that you intended to invite Catherine at the same time as me, though...this explains it.”

“This isn’t ideal territory for carrier birds,” Catherine guessed. “Maybe the little fella tired out.”

Rhea approached Seteth’s wyvern, putting a hand on its snout absently. It lifted its nose at her, growling happily. “The owl, you mean? He seemed quite lively this morning. Nevertheless, Seteth, I am glad to have you. How long will you be staying?”

“I may not spend the night. I got here early enough that returning before nightfall will not be too difficult. I would not want to displace your guest, Lady Rhea.”

Rhea cleared her throat. “There is plenty of room for you, Seteth.”

“To sleep?” Rhea nodded curtly. Seteth furrowed his brow. “I’m sure I needn’t remind you, Rhea, but there is only one bed and one couch in your home.”

Catherine almost spoke, but then Rhea jumped in. “Catherine and I can share a bed for a few nights, if she is fine with it. I am sure we will both fit somehow. Would that be plausible, Catherine?”

“Huh? Oh, uh, yeah, that’s fine.”

Seteth bristled. “Rhea, that’s nonsense. Do you not recall that I helped you build that bed? It is made for one.”

“Please, do not doubt my judgement,” Rhea said. Seteth glanced at Catherine. Not with malice, but with a knowing kind of suspicion. Then, he began to carry the sacks he’d brought into the cottage, wordlessly. Rhea shut her eyes when he was gone. “Seteth...he is so worrisome. To interrupt us—unknowingly, to his credit—and then to...” Rhea shook her head.

Catherine patted her on the back. She was glad her hand was gloved, because if her skin had touched Rhea’s, she definitely would have lost her mind. “It’s not his fault. The letter didn’t get here in time, and you had already sent out for me, too. It’s just some bad timing.”

“We will continue later,” Rhea said. She backtracked after that, nervously undoing her braid. “If you wish to.”

“Wish is an understatement.”

“But with Seteth here, I...” Rhea just shook her head again, then started to lift more bags into the cottage. Catherine took the last two. They weighed a ton; Seteth must have done a hell of a lot of shopping.

Rhea and Seteth chatted about the monastery as they all unpacked the sacks. Seteth hadn’t lied about their contents. It was mostly produce, but there was so much of it that it would certainly go bad if it was just Rhea. Thankfully, Catherine was there to eat it all and make sure it didn’t go to waste. At least, that was how  _ she _ thought. 

One of the sacks had a particularly strong smell. Seteth reached in and took out a silvery-looking thing, wrapped in butcher’s paper. “Fish. Flayn caught it personally, and insisted that I deliver it to you,” Seteth said.

He placed it in Rhea’s hands, who looked at it with wonder. It was sizeable. Another thing Catherine would help Rhea get rid of. “Give her my thanks.”

“She would like to visit you.” That was said so casually, like an invitation, but the kind that is not fixed or permanent. The kind of invitation that’s open-ended and might not even be acted on. Still, Rhea froze up. Catherine wanted to make a joke to break the silence, but it didn’t seem appropriate, so she simply asked where Rhea put her honey jars.

Once they put the produce away, Seteth brewed some tea (and offered Rhea the only chair) and asked what they had gotten up to since Catherine came. Sparring was the response, naturally. Both of them had silently agreed upon leaving out the details of the hot spring, and the fact that they were sleeping together. Sparring, day and night, ever since Catherine arrived. That’s it, that’s all.

“I’m inclined to join you. It is a bit odd with three people, but we can make it work. I’m sure a battle between you two was jaw-dropping, to say the least,” Seteth said. Catherine shot Rhea a look, waggling her eyebrows. Rhea snorted, a genuine snort, then covered her hand with her mouth. “Archbishop Rhea? Are you alright?”

“I-I am no longer the archbishop, Seteth, please refrain from addressing me that way.” Rhea was threatening to burst into laughter.

“Yes, right, sorry. Are you feeling alright, though, Rhea?”

Catherine interjected, “She’s feeling better than ever.”

Seteth looked back and forth between Rhea and Catherine, bewildered. He sipped his tea, never taking his eyes off of them. They watched him drink. Once he set his cup down, he mumbled, “I feel as if a joke is being played, and I am the butt of it.”

“There is no such thing happening, Seteth. Catherine and I are merely in good spirits today. That is all. You might try it yourself,” Rhea said. Catherine held back a laugh.

“Perhaps I might,” Seteth responded dryly. “I am glad to see you in good spirits, but seeing you so...giddy is a tad foreign to me. Has Catherine witched you?”

Catherine reached over Rhea’s head to clap Seteth on the back. Seteth was a pretty stiff guy, she noticed. “There’s that sense of humor, Seteth!”

“That was not a joke.”

“Well, it was funny, that’s for sure.”

As much as Seteth insisted he was  _ no _ sort of comedian, Catherine found his presence comforting. Their relationship was very different when Seteth wasn’t breathing down her back about protecting the church, even though Seteth was trying his hardest to get Catherine to return to the monastery. 

However, Catherine couldn’t ignore Rhea. She had to go out of her way to look at Rhea, since she was the only one sitting, but Rhea was worth going out of her way for. Seteth probably noticed her frequent gazes, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. When she thought about what Seteth had interrupted, what might have happened if they moved to the bed...she wished so badly that Rhea hadn’t insisted upon Seteth spending the night. It was out of cordiality, Catherine knew that, but that didn’t make it any less frustrating. Even though they were sleeping in the same bed, it didn’t change the fact that Seteth would be mere feet away.

They talked until the sun began to set, and Seteth offered to prepare dinner. He cooked the fish that Flayn had sent, along with potatoes and asparagus. He was quite the chef, Catherine learned. Nothing compared to Rhea, but it was still flavorful. They ate on the couch, so Catherine and Seteth wouldn’t be left standing. Seteth was seated in the middle. Catherine was dismayed, wanting to press her thigh to Rhea’s.

After eating, they talked some more. Once again, the monastery was a hot topic. Rhea was only distantly interested, but Catherine could tell that she was keeping up the conversation so Seteth’s feelings wouldn’t be hurt. Whether Seteth had noticed or not, Catherine didn’t know.

The oil lamp that Rhea had lit started to go out. Seteth went to re-light it, but Rhea stopped him. “Are you not tired yet? I am sure you left quite early.”

“That I did, but it has been a while since I have seen you. Catherine, too.”

“You plan to stay tomorrow night as well, no? There is no need to neglect your sleep for our sake,” Rhea said. Seteth held up the lamp, thinking. He didn’t seem too tired to Catherine, but maybe that wasn’t the point. Who knew Rhea could be so conniving? Catherine glanced down the hallway at the closed door of the bedroom. It wouldn’t be much longer. “I will fetch you a blanket.”

Rhea went down the hallway, and Seteth looked after her, perplexed. “Rhea has been acting strange,” he said.

Catherine shrugged. “She seems fine to me. Maybe a little happier.”

“Wasn’t she happy at the monastery?” Seteth seemed to be talking to himself at that point, so Catherine didn’t respond. Thankfully, Rhea was back by then, with a pillow, blanket, and sheets. “Thank you, Lady Rhea. It gets...quite chilly out here at night. I considered bringing you a thicker duvet from the monastery, but—”

“I am accustomed to the weather here. There’s no need.”

Rhea set about making the couch up herself, but Seteth took the linens from her. He was very particular about his bedding, Catherine learned. He fluffed the feathery cushions this way and that, before gently laying the blanket atop it all.

The cottage seemed to yawn for a bit. The oil lamp slowly burned out as the three of them got comfortable, washing up and changing into sleep wear. Seteth went to feed his wyvern, Rhea brushed her hair, and Catherine did a few stretches. Catherine and Rhea got more and more aware of each other as they passed through the hallway, brushing elbows and trading looks. Seteth became a bit less chatty, and before long, he was wishing them good night.

“Rhea, if you become uncomfortable in the bed, please do not hesitate to wake me, no matter the hour. I will gladly sleep on the floor for your comfort,” he said, bowing.

“Please, Seteth, do not mention it again,” Rhea begged. She seemed embarrassed.

“You two are just adorable.” Catherine gave them both a pat on the head, which Seteth huffed at. Rhea, on the other hand...

“Catherine, if you are ready to retire for the night...”

Catherine perked up. She tried not to look  _ too _ excited, since Seteth seemed to be scrutinizing her already, but it was hard not to. Hours had passed since her and Rhea’s kiss, and her body was still humming with arousal. It had been in the back of her mind all day. “Yeah, I’m ready. G’night, Seteth.”

“Good night, you two.”

Rhea started down the hallway, and Catherine was on her heels. Rhea didn’t turn around once, her step cool and confident. Once they got into the bedroom, though, Rhea whirled around as soon as the door had closed. “I hope you know you’ve occupied my thoughts all day,” Rhea said.

“And you, mine,” Catherine said. She stepped forward, placing her hands on Rhea’s hips. “Although, I can’t help but wonder what about punching me in the face turned you on so much.”

“It...felt nice, pinning you to the ground,” Rhea admitted. “That isn’t a good thing, is it? For one friend to subdue another?”

“Uh, probably not, but if I’m being honest, you probably should have given up on the friend thing the second you kissed me. I think that’s where the line gets drawn.”

Rhea laughed quietly, taking Catherine’s hand in hers. “If not friends, then what are we?”

“I really don’t know. I  _ do _ know I’m having a great time so far.”

“As am I. Let’s not worry about it, then,” Rhea said. She squeezed Catherine’s hand, then led her over to the bed. Catherine sat at the edge of it, and Rhea climbed into her lap, looping her arms around Catherine’s neck. Catherine initiated the kiss that time. She was bolder, running her hand up and down the exposed part of Rhea’s thigh. 

Rhea had expressed hesitation about making love with Seteth there, but Catherine decided to test the waters. Her fingers trailed towards Rhea’s inner thighs, tracing circles there. Rhea gasped into her mouth, her back arching a bit. Catherine’s fingers moved closer and closer, until her fingertips brushed against Rhea’s panties, feeling the outline of her lower lips. “Gods, Rhea,” Catherine whispered. Rhea had nearly soaked through the fabric of her underwear. Catherine pressed against her clit, and Rhea yelped aloud. Dangerously loud. “Have you been like this all day?”

“Don’t,” Rhea whimpered. Catherine pulled her hand back, having never heard a sound like that. Not from Rhea, not from any woman. Her voice was trembling with need, but an equal amount of despair. “C-Catherine, I won’t be able to control my voice.”

“Huh? A-are you sure? We can try...”

“No. I mean...I  _ have _ done these kinds of things by myself, previously. And I’m usually unable to maintain a reasonable volume, even on my own. With you, it will be much harder, I’m sure.”

_ Let him hear, _ Catherine wanted to say. Her heart was pumping the wildest sort of blood into her veins. She wanted to make Rhea scream. Oh, Goddess, how good it would have felt to put her fingers in Rhea, to feel Rhea’s walls go tight around her knuckles. Catherine had never wanted to punch Seteth more in her entire life, just for existing. “I want to make you feel good, Rhea. I’ve never wanted something this much.”

“I want you to,” Rhea said, and Catherine grasped her hip in anticipation. “But...please. You’ve already seen how involved Seteth is in my private affairs. If he were to find out something like this, I would never hear the end of it, and neither would you.” Catherine groaned in frustration, resting her forehead on Rhea’s shoulder. “On the other hand...if you’re capable of being quieter, I would be happy to service you.”

Rhea’s lips were right next to Catherine’s ear, and the whisper was intimately said. Catherine squeezed Rhea a little tighter out of reflex. “Yeah, I can be quiet. But, I don’t know. I’m more of a giver when it comes to the bedroom.”

Rhea hummed. “I suppose that means you’re quite well-learned in affairs of the flesh.”

“Well, n-no, not like what you’re thinking,” Catherine said. She lifted her head, and saw that Rhea was smiling knowingly at her. “No, no, seriously. It’s really only been a few girls. Three, if you want numbers.”

“Never a man?”

“Not my style.” Rhea nodded sagely. “How about you? I mean, you’ve been around for a while. You’ve got a fair bit of experience, right?”

“Ah...one would assume so, yes,” Rhea said. “However...I haven’t been much on the giving end, myself. I—this is hard to explain. As we discussed before, I have not had any true ‘friends’, and the notion extends to romantic partners. Before I went by the name Rhea, however, I did have...various consorts. That came to an end when Garreg Mach as you know it was formed.”

Catherine’s cheeks heated. “Oh. Uh...wow.”

“I know, it is a horrible thing, but—”

“No, no. I mean, tons of royals do that sort of thing, and you were basically royalty back then, right? I’m just wishing I was around,” Catherine said, chuckling.

Rhea didn’t find it funny, averting her eyes. “I am glad you weren’t. It was a loveless sort of encounter. Borderline worship, really. I would like to try...pleasing someone else.”

“Tonight’s the night, I guess,” Catherine said. She pressed her thighs together to quell the heat, hoping Rhea didn’t notice. Catherine was never bashful, but Rhea changed things. "We don't have to do anything at all tonight, if you'd prefer that."

"You're quite shy," Rhea teased. "You do not back down from any challenge, but when it comes to me, your boldness disappears."

"I am  _ not _ shy," Catherine said. "I'm a little rusty, is all. It's been a while."

Rhea lifted Catherine’s shirt, and Catherine moved her arms so that Rhea could remove it. Then, Rhea sat back a little, frowning. “I don’t think this particular position will work with my plans. Would you be alright with laying on your back?”

“I won’t tell you no, but what exactly are these plans?”

“I would like to use my mouth, if possible.”

Catherine whistled. “You’re ambitious.”

“I could use my fingers, if you prefer. If I continue with my plan, it will require a certain amount of patience on your part,” Rhea said. Her eyes were on Catherine’s torso. Not just her breasts, but the tiny scars, the muscles. She seemed enamored.

Catherine shrugged. “We’ve got all night. I’m sure Seteth won’t notice if we’re just a little tired in the morning.”

Rhea climbed off of Catherine’s lap, and Catherine laid back, pulling off her shorts and underwear. She was cutting right to the chase; so much for Catherine needing patience. Rhea didn’t seem to have much patience herself. She pushed Catherine’s legs apart, kneeling between them in a way that made her ass stick up in the air. Catherine wanted so badly to grab her, to squeeze her, but she would hold herself back until Seteth was gone. “It seems you are just as beautiful here as you are everywhere else,” Rhea said.

Catherine rolled her eyes, smacking her palm to her head. “You’ve gotta be kidding me...I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone tell me they thought my cunt was beautiful.”

“I won’t ever get used to such language.” Rhea sounded more disappointed in herself than in Catherine.

“What? You mean the word ‘cunt’?”

“Yes. I would never look down upon you or give you orders, but a word like that is too blunt for my taste.”

“I’m scared to ask, but what do  _ you _ call it? A pussy?”

“Well...your crotch,” Rhea said. Catherine tried to hold back a laugh. “Or your womanhood.”

Okay, that one, Catherine had to laugh at. Rhea sighed. “Sorry, sorry. I didn’t mean to laugh. Honest. You can call it whatever you want. Who am I to tell the archbishop what to do?”

Rhea seemed to get even more irritated at that remark. “I am no longer the archbishop. If I were, I wouldn’t be able to bring myself to do this, would I?”

“Do what”, Catherine began to ask, but Rhea showed her what. With the determination that Rhea always worked off of, she bowed her head and tasted Catherine. There was no fear or hesitation, making Catherine wonder if that really was her first time eating someone out. Or perhaps Rhea was bolder than Catherine thought she was, bold enough to pretend she knew what she was doing.

Catherine’s eyes slipped shut, and her head lolled backwards onto the pillow. It really had been a while, and although a bit inexperienced, Rhea’s mouth was hot, something for Catherine to buck into. Catherine was tentative for a few moments, but when Rhea started to really lap at her, gaining her footing, Catherine couldn’t help putting a hand on the back of her head. Rhea made an indiscriminate sound, but she didn’t stop licking. 

“Oh, gods, Rhea. Oh,” Catherine whispered. She had to keep her voice down, she remembered...and usually that wasn’t much of an issue, but it had been months since she’d had someone else on her, and even then, it wasn’t Rhea. Rhea, who she’d been wanting since the moment she enrolled into the academy. Even when she’d imagined herself with Rhea, Rhea was never between her legs.

Rhea stopped for a second, licking her lips, and Catherine looked down with a wince. “Don’t be afraid to ask anything of me.”

“All I need is for you to keep going,” Catherine said, and Rhea obliged. Catherine’s grip tightened in Rhea’s hair when she continued to lick. Rhea had brushed it so carefully earlier, and Catherine felt a little guilty, mussing it up like she was. The archbishop’s  _ mouth _ was on her. No, not the archbishop. Rhea. It was Rhea. “Hey. You could, uh...put your fingers inside. Since you’re probably a little better with that. Not that this isn’t nice.”

Rhea lifted her head again. “Where might my mouth go, if my fingers are...”

“Here,” Catherine said, reaching down. Her finger brushed Rhea’s lips as she circled it around her clit. Without another word, Rhea pushed Catherine’s finger out of the way with a gentle prod from her nose, then pressed a kiss to Catherine’s clit. Then she gave another, that time open-mouthed, a bit more sloppy than Catherine expected from a woman like Rhea. Then came her fingers. Two at once. Catherine started to pet Rhea, smoothing her hair. “Is this how you do it to yourself?” Rhea didn’t stop to talk, but she did make a rather disdainful noise. Catherine chuckled. “Sorry, sorry. I can’t help thinking about it after you told me you rub one out from time to time.”

As if to distract herself from Catherine’s embarrassing chatter, Rhea pushed her fingers in deeper, more confident than she was with her tongue. It took her only a few moments to become coordinated, her tongue swiping Catherine’s clit at the same moment her fingers pushed in. It was obscene, to hear those soft suckling and kissing noises from Rhea. But it felt so damn good, Catherine couldn’t think of what their relationship used to be. She could only think of what was happening right then and there, in a tiny cottage in the dead center of Zanado.

Catherine might have just found a little slice of heaven.

Rhea took Catherine’s clit into her mouth and started up a slow, pulsing sucking pattern. Suck, pause, suck, pause, all as her fingers slid against Catherine’s walls. Even as she sucked, her tongue was flush against Catherine’s bud. Catherine jerked her hips particularly hard when Rhea curled her fingers, hitting her g-spot. Rhea’s free hand held Catherine to the bed. Catherine felt an almost uncomfortable heat pooling in her stomach, and Rhea was only adding fuel to the fire.

“Rhea, fuck,” Catherine cried out.

Suddenly, Rhea pulled away, looking up with darkened eyes. “Catherine, you need to—”

“I know, I got it, keep it down,” Catherine said, panting. “Keep going. Please.”

“Promise you’ll be quieter. For both of our sakes.”

“I promise. Rhea, please.” Catherine knew her moan was so deep, so guttural, that Rhea wouldn’t be able to resist her.

Rhea crawled up Catherine’s body, straddling Catherine’s leg like she had done earlier. She kissed Catherine, hard, and Catherine melted into the sheets as she tasted herself. Rhea’s kisses were more than a pleasantry, though; as her fingers moved faster and faster inside of Catherine, Catherine started to moan louder, breaking her promise. Rhea swallowed every sound, never slowing up. She was so wet against Catherine’s thigh. Catherine could feel her tensing, stopping herself from grinding against Catherine’s leg like she wanted. Rhea was so intent on denying herself the pleasure, Catherine wondered if she liked being teased. She’d keep it in mind for the next time they rolled into bed together.

When Rhea broke the kiss, Catherine used both of her hands to hold her close, their foreheads pressed to each other. When Catherine whined, Rhea kissed her again, that time a peck, then hushed her. “Slow up, I’m gonna...”

“That’s fine,” Rhea said. Catherine shut her eyes, rolling her hips into Rhea’s hand. Even without the stimulation to her clit, Catherine was drifting closer and closer to her climax. “Open your eyes, Catherine. Watch me as I watch you.”

“Fuck! Are you sure you haven’t done this before?” Catherine opened her eyes at Rhea’s command, and they laughed together. “Rhea. Gods, Rhea, I love you, faster, please. Holy—Rhea, I’m right there. Please.”

Rhea seemed stunned for a moment, her fingers slowing. Catherine gripped her harder, and her assault continued. She began to smile, then, cupping Catherine’s cheek. “I love you too, my knight.”

Catherine’s breath hitched, and then she let it all out with a long-winded, exhaustive moan. Rhea covered Catherine’s lips with hers before she got too loud, her fingers going a mile a minute in Catherine’s cunt. Catherine could hardly kiss back, letting Rhea ravage her mouth as her orgasm wracked her body. Her heart was beating too fast, her mind was racing and she couldn’t keep up.  _ Rhea, Rhea, I love you. More, Rhea, please _ made up the majority of her thoughts, but they were still incoherent. 

As Catherine’s moans died down, Rhea dragged her lips along Catherine’s skin, to her neck, then began to suck there, leaving marks on every space she could find. Her fingers came out with a _ schlick, _ caressing Catherine’s lips, then her clit. 

“Wait, Rhea,” Catherine blurted out.

Rhea looked up, lips pink and glossed with Catherine’s slick and saliva. “What?”

“Uh...I think I might be done for the night...”

“Oh,” Rhea said. She rose up on her knees, and Catherine sat up, panting. “My apologies. I did not intend to overstimulate you.”

“No, no, nothing like that. Just, uh...you kinda knocked me out, there,” Catherine said. Rhea smoothed her own hair down, licking her lips. “You don’t seem like the kind of person to lie about this kind of thing, but...was that really your first time going down on a girl?”

Rhea giggled. “Yes, Catherine, it was. But, like I said, I’ve had it done to me before. It’s not that hard for me to emulate the actions of others.” Catherine kissed the corner of Rhea’s mouth, placing her hands on Rhea’s slim waist. “Catherine...I do love you. I hope when you said that, you truly meant—”

“It was bad timing,” Catherine admitted. “But I don’t say things I don’t mean. Even if I’m getting stretched out on your bed. You know that, Rhea. You want me to say it again?”

Rhea responded, “As if I would ever say no to hearing those words from you.”

“Fine, then. I love you. To hell and back. Always. Forever. You’re never getting rid of me. I don’t care where I go, where you go, I’ll always love you. How about that?”

“Catherine...sometimes I wonder if you say things without thinking,” Rhea said. But she was smiling, and Catherine was feeling good, so she didn’t press it. She simply held Rhea closer. “Mm...you have to let me go for a moment.”

“Huh? Why?”

“I have to change my underwear. They’re practically ruined.”

“Just take ‘em off. I don’t mind.”

“I think we both know what will happen if I leave them off,” Rhea said. “Bear with me for just a while longer, Catherine. After Seteth is gone...I will be yours, completely.”

Catherine sighed as Rhea got off of her, stripping herself of her panties. Catherine watched the fabric roll off of her ass, watched as she bent over to grab a new pair. Catherine went into her own bag for a new outfit; Rhea hadn’t pulled her panties off her fast enough for them to not get wet. Rhea glanced at her a few times as they changed, but Catherine didn’t dare goad her or tease her. Those coming days with Seteth would definitely be harder on Rhea than they’d be on Catherine.

Once they got back in bed, Catherine realized Rhea was a little more affectionate than she had been the first night. She put a hand in Catherine’s hair, the other on the sheets. Catherine wrapped an arm around Rhea’s waist and pulled her down, making sure they were flush against each other. 

“Only my second night here and Zanado is treating me like one of its angels,” Catherine said. Her lips were against Rhea’s temple as she spoke. “Y’know, I could stay here forever.”

“Forever,” Rhea mused. 

“What?” Rhea didn’t respond. She shut her eyes. “Is that one of those things I said without really thinking?”

“No,” Rhea said. “That was not a mindless statement. However...if Zanado were to you what it is to me, then maybe we would feel differently.”

“You don’t like it here?”

“It’s where I’ve always belonged. You don’t choose your home.”

“Huh. You’re being oddly vague...”

Rhea really thought, nuzzling her cheek into Catherine’s skin. “Zanado is different for both of us. That’s all. It’s a large land, filled with history, tragedy, enrichment...there are so many perspectives to be had of it that nobody feels the same way. Seteth and I have differing thoughts on it as well.”

“I’ve never even heard him mention it, outside of you,” Catherine said. 

“I don’t doubt that that is true. He is like me in so many ways, but when it comes to Zanado...” Rhea shifted, then yawned. 

“My bad. Sorry to keep you up. I’m sure Seteth tired you out with all of his chattering. But just know that I’m happy wherever you are. Zanado is great, with the hot springs and the scenery or whatever, but Rhea, I love you more than anything else in this world. If you don’t understand anything else I say, I need you to understand that,” Catherine said. Her voice was merely a whisper; words like those didn’t deserve a brash tone of voice.

It seemed her voice was too quiet. She held her breath waiting for a response, then heard a light snore. Rhea had fallen asleep on her chest. Catherine looked at the ceiling. She was pretty tired, too, and there was no use in waking Rhea up...

_ I’ll just tell her in the morning. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> scenario: you're sleeping on your ex-boss's couch. she's railing her girlfriend in the bedroom while you think about what cool souvenir you should bring your daughter from the holy land
> 
> also yeahhhh it was s'posed to be 2 chapters but. i got carried away.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay bye im not posting until kinktober lmao
> 
> let's see if i actually go through with it
> 
> i could have gotten a decent amount of it done instead of writing this but. i really love this premise and i couldnt wait until november to finish it. i would have died

Catherine dreamt the night before, of living in a cottage with Rhea. In that cottage, they weren’t in Zanado, but in the middle of the woods. The forest was enchanted, much like Zanado was, but the land held less of an emotional weight. The forest had always just  _ been, _ with nothing of note happening except for the chopping of wood and the picking of berries. Catherine woke up with the ghost of a sweet taste on her lips.

It started to fade when she heard a soft knocking at the door. Rhea had rolled off of her during the night, squished in between Catherine’s body and the wall. Catherine gently moved her over, then got up to walk to the door. 

When she opened it, Seteth was standing there, fully dressed. “Morning, Seteth—”

“Come with me to Remire,” Seteth said.

“For what?”

“Supplies.”

“Did you not just bring a bunch of those?”

Seteth huffed. “I may not travel here again for a long while. Rhea is at odds with me, currently, and...in case she no longer welcomes my company, I would like her to be well-stocked.”

Catherine looked back at Rhea, making sure she was asleep. She’d rolled over to take up the space that Catherine had left empty, but otherwise had not stirred. How sweet her face looked when she wasn’t even awake to try; it made Catherine’s heart skip a beat, but she couldn’t look for too long when Seteth was right there. “I didn’t notice she was at odds with you.”

“Of course you wouldn’t. When you’ve known her as long as I have, though, you come to realize how subtle her emotions are,” Seteth said. Catherine frowned. As if he were the number one Rhea expert.  _ If you knew her so well, then why would you piss her off? _ “It’s nothing time won’t solve, but I would like to give her space.”

“How sweet. Fine, then, let me get dressed. How far is Remire from here, anyway?”

“By wyvern? An hour, perhaps two.”

Seteth’s poor wyvern, having to carry the weight of two people and all of their groceries. Still, Seteth’s cause was noble. Rhea’s cabinets were starting to get a little full, but he insisted upon her needing more food. He closed the bedroom door and went into the living room, and Catherine started to get changed. She moved quietly, trying not to make the floor creak beneath her, but Rhea started to shift about anyway.

Catherine glanced back at the bed, pulling her pants up just as Rhea’s eyes opened. Rhea stretched, like a cat, then looked at Catherine quietly. Catherine finished dressing, then greeted Rhea with a nod and a smile. Rhea smiled back. “I had a dream...”

“What about?”

“Seteth and you,” Rhea said, then yawned. “It was quite plain.”

“We were just talking. Maybe that’s why.”

“Hm...are you going to Remire?”

“Yup. Guess that wasn’t a dream. You wanna tag along?”

Rhea thought, then shook her head. “I will stay behind, I think. I need a bit of alone time.” Catherine lifted her eyebrows. Rhea shut her eyes, then, flinching. “N-no, not like that, Catherine! Please.”

Catherine chuckled, sitting at the bedside. She stroked Rhea’s hip through the sheets. “I didn’t say a word. Hey, do what you want. Just save a little energy for me.”

“Really, I don’t plan to—I...I could, but I feel as if that would be spoiling it.”

“I thought you liked to be teased a bit,” Catherine said. “Do you like waiting for it? Waiting for me? I bet that’ll make it feel better when we get down to it.”

“We’ll see,” Rhea responded quietly. After a beat, she sighed. “That’s truly not what I meant when I said I needed to be alone, you know. It’s just...Seteth. I don’t know if you realized, but I had a chat with him late last night when I got up to fetch water.” Catherine shook her head. She was sleeping like a brick. After all, Rhea had worn her out. “We disagreed on a few things. I just would like some time to consider the circumstances, and it’s difficult to think with both of you around.”

“You’re being vague on purpose again, but I’m gonna go ahead and ask anyway. What did you disagree on?”

Rhea sat up, her hands folded in her lap. Catherine looked at them, at her long, pretty fingers, and watched them fidget. “He was worried about the letter. He seems to think it is part of a bigger conspiracy, or a plot against me. He wants me to return to the monastery so that I am safer.”

“You  _ would _ be safer there,” Catherine agreed. “But what makes him think a letter coming a little bit late means someone is out to get you?”

“He thinks our correspondence is being monitored, for whatever reason, but that’s not the only problem. There have been some threats on his and Byleth’s life, as well,” Rhea said.

“What?! Then he’s right, Rhea! Whatever is going on, it’s definitely connected to the Church. Byleth will be protected at the monastery, but you’re wide open out here.”

“I will not leave Zanado,” Rhea said. Catherine began to speak again, but Rhea held up her hand. Then, she held Catherine’s. “Seteth is waiting for you, dearest.”

Catherine twisted to look at the closed bedroom door, then turned back to Rhea. Rhea was looking out of the window again. At Zanado. Catherine knew it was special, to Rhea more than anyone, but...was it really worth dying over? “I don’t want to leave you alone here.”

“You will not be gone long. And I will most certainly be here when you return.”

Catherine stood, pacing around the room for a bit. Rhea was as quiet as a mouse. “I think you’re making a mistake by staying here,” Catherine said. Rhea looked at her, expectantly, as if Catherine was supposed to say something else. “You say you want me to be your friend—to be more—so I’m speaking to you like an equal. I think you’re making a mistake.”

“And I’m grateful that you think of me so fondly. I’m grateful for your protection and your loving thoughts,” Rhea said. She stood, her feet padding on the floor as she approached Catherine. She wrapped her arms around Catherine’s waist, looked up with adoring eyes. Catherine reached down to smooth Rhea’s hair. It wasn’t too mussed; she slept without moving much. “But Zanado is my homeland. It will protect me. And I can protect myself. You needn’t worry.”

Catherine wanted to crawl back into bed, to hold Rhea again. But Seteth was waiting. “He said it’s only an hour away, so we should be back soon,” Catherine said. Rhea kissed her cheek. “Rhea...I love you.”

“There’s no need to be so dramatic,” Rhea teased. “But I love you, too. Don’t let Seteth spend beyond his means, now.”

Catherine laughed, but let Rhea go reluctantly. Rhea tiptoed back over to the bed, so Catherine closed the door behind her. Catherine hoped she would simply sleep until her and Seteth returned.

Catherine slept on the way to Remire, slumped against Seteth’s back. He was a little less soft than Rhea, but it still made for quite the nap. When she woke up, she saw that they were in Remire village. Remire had rebuilt itself quite well since the massacre a decade ago. There were memorials set up, reminders of what had happened. The ten-year anniversary had passed not too long ago, and Catherine was glad that they had missed it. It was a horrifying ordeal. Memories of death and despair rarely plagued Catherine, but Remire was a bit different.

If Seteth felt the same way, he didn’t say so. They went into the market, and Seteth was instantly recognized. Catherine, too, but Seteth was advisor to the archbishop, and was known more widely. He was offered discounts at every stall they went to, but he politely declined. No wonder Catherine was supposed to make sure he didn’t spend beyond his means.

“You do not have to shadow me,” he eventually said. Catherine had bought an apple at one of the produce stalls, and was munching on it without remorse. Seteth hadn’t even made breakfast. Why did she go with him, anyway...? 

“I don’t have anything else to do.”

“Go look around. I’m sure there’s something you will want to purchase.”

“I already bought an apple. I’m on a budget here, pal.”

“If I remember your appetite correctly, that will not be enough to last you for the journey back to Zanado, and I will not have you pecking at Rhea’s food,” Seteth snarled. “Do you need me to give you pocket change, like a child?”

Catherine shoved Seteth, snorting. “The budget isn’t  _ that _ tight. Fine, I can take a hint. I’ll get off your back, jackass. Don’t take too long, Rhea’s waiting at home.”

They parted ways, and Catherine started to stroll around the stalls. There was a lot of good food, hot and cold, cooked and raw. Being a wandering hero didn’t make much cash, but when the rewards did come for heroism, they were rather large. Catherine usually took food as a reward instead of money, though, so she wasn’t going to get too frivolous. Once she ate the apple down to the core, she decided to start looking for something to eat.

She was particularly craving...beef. Yeah, some steak. Did people sell cooked beef at markets...? She might have had to look for a restaurant or something like that. The locals would know where to go. She walked into a tented stall, surprised by the decorative bead curtain that hung in its entrance. The inside was lit by lamps with purple flames, obviously enchanted with magic.

“Uh, hello?” Catherine called out. 

“Just a second!” Catherine stood in the middle of the tent. She looked to her left to browse the shelves.

What a mistake that was.

Catherine wasn’t bashful by any means, especially not about matters of the flesh, but...well, it was only so often that she saw polished phalluses being sold out of a tent. And riding crops, and fancy lingerie, and little bottles of oil...

The shopkeep finally came out, red-haired and sneaky-eyed. Catherine furrowed her brow. “Hey, don’t you have a shop at—”

“I have shops everywhere, of all kinds! I’m Anna. Nice to meet you!”

“Right,” Catherine said, slowly. “Uh...”

“What are you looking for?”

“Meat.” Catherine remembered where she was, then corrected herself. “Like, steak. I want steak. Something to eat?”

“Uh...we don’t sell that here,” the shopkeep said.

“Yeah, I see. What exactly do you sell here?”

Anna laughed heartily. “What, can’t you tell? I can give you a little chat on the birds and the bees, if you’d like. Just know that it’ll cost you.”

“No, I don’t need that,” Catherine growled. “It’s just...this is a weird kind of shop, that’s all.”

“Most people sell this kind of stuff underground, yes,” Anna admitted. “But, hey, there’s no need to lie. Everybody needs to have a little bit of pleasure. We’re in peacetime! There’s no need to lie about your more carnal urges.”

_ Carnal urges...everybody needs pleasure? _ Catherine thought of Rhea, instantly. Rhea had claimed she wouldn’t be doing anything...inappropriate while Catherine and Seteth were gone, but what if she was? What if she was on the bed, right then, touching herself? What would she say if she was in that shop with Catherine? Catherine coughed. Right, she was in public. “Okay, so, let me ask you something. I might want to get a little something, but I’m not sure what.”

“Alright. Can you give me some of your preferences, or your lover’s?”

“Um...we haven’t really done much. She—uh, I mean, he—okay, never mind, cat’s out of the bag. We’re both women.”

“Trust me, honey, you’re not the first customer I’ve had that plays for the other team,” Anna said.

“Oh, yeah. I forgot this shop was for degenerates.”

“It is not for degenerates,” Anna chided. “Besides, what would that say about you? I’ll leave you to think about that on your own time. Now, let me think...hm, hm, hm. Are you looking for something different? Like...”

Anna walked a little deeper into the tent, and Catherine followed her. Anna reached for a whip, and Catherine whistled. “Woah! No no no. Not doing that.”

“Oh, so you’re both vanilla?”

“I-I guess? Look. I just want to have sex with her. Simple, straightforward sex. None of the whips or crops or whatever else you have going on here. She’s not into that.” Or, was she? Rhea seemed like the sadistic type, perhaps. Or maybe she was more submissive, more of a masochist. Either way, Catherine wasn’t going to pounce on her like  _ that, _ when she hardly knew what she was doing as it was. “She’s  _ probably _ not into it. I just wanna...something that she’ll enjoy, but it’s not too fancy. See, she’s not too experienced, so I don’t want to—”

“I have just the thing,” Anna said. She whirled around, walking back towards the entrance. Catherine followed, and Anna talked as she browsed the shelves. “This toy is more traditional, although a little less well-known. It’s still different enough to make things interesting, but it’s vanilla enough to not scare your lover.” Anna found what she was looking for, then held it up to Catherine. It was strangely-shaped, but it looked similar to the other dildoes Anna had for sale. It made a strange sort of “L” shape. However, one side was shorter and more bulbous, while the other was long. It was made of a lovely polished wood, but still seemed to move flexibly. “It’s enchanted to be a little less stiff compared to most of my products, if you’re wondering why it’s bendy. This way, one end can go inside of you, and the other can be—”

“Inside of her,” Catherine finished. Catherine looked at it in awe, and tried to imagine it. “So, with the shape it’s in, it’ll kind of look like, um...”

“It’ll look real, yes. Well, not  _ real, _ but it’ll look attached at the groin, when this end goes up inside of you,” Anna said. She was handling it very fondly. “I personally recommend it.”

“I feel like I didn’t need to hear that,” Catherine remarked wryly. With a toy like that, she’d be  _ fucking _ Rhea, wouldn’t she? As if she were a man. Catherine had never particularly wanted for a penis, but the toy did seem fascinating. If she were on top of Rhea, between her legs, thrusting into her as the dildo shifted inside of her own walls, what would it feel like? “...Alright. How much?”

Catherine ended up paying an embarrassing amount of money for it, and was coerced into buying an “absolutely electrifying” bottle of oil to supplement it. She really couldn’t believe that she was buying a sex toy for her and Rhea to use, but she handed over the coins and took her purchase anyway.

Seteth was near the tent as Catherine was exiting it, and he saw her leaving. His face was neutral. Almost too neutral. “Any good purchases?”

“No, not really, just walking around,” Catherine said quickly.

“Hmph.” Seteth’s wyvern wasn’t as loaded down as it was the day before, but it certainly didn’t seem to be comfortable. “Well, then. If you’re ready to return, I will not object.”

“Hold on. Lemme get a snack for the road,” Catherine said. Seteth sighed.

After securing some chicken (not beef, to Catherine’s disdain), they were back on the road to Zanado. Seteth complained and worried to himself for a bit while Catherine nodded and mumbled agreements through her mouth full of food. They finally arrived at the canyon again, and Seteth started to navigate his way back to the cottage.

Catherine had long since finished off her chicken leg, so Seteth decided to strike up a more two-sided conversation. “How did you and Rhea sleep?”

“Pretty good,” Catherine said. Seteth’s tone was wary, as it always was. Still, she didn’t want to discuss what was going on in Rhea’s room the night before. “I guess you didn’t sleep too well. You guys had a chat last night, yeah?”

“I am not surprised she told you,” Seteth murmured. “So, you know that I am attempting to return her to the monastery.”

“What’s new?”

Seteth shook his head. “Last night’s discussion became heated. I am surprised you slept through it. Rhea...is staying in Zanado as punishment.”

“Punishment? For who? You?”

“No, not for me. For herself,” Seteth responded. Catherine didn’t respond, waiting for him to explain. After a few beats, he did. “Rhea does love Zanado. It is the place where we were born, where we were raised. But she is plagued by nightmares, she tells me. Nightmares of the people who she could not save, of those she harmed. Of Sothis. Sometimes, she says, she feels like their spirits follow her as she walks through the canyon. And she believes it is only right that she lets herself be haunted, because it is what she deserves.”

Catherine looked off into the canyon, surprised by what Seteth was saying. Rhea could be irrational, Catherine knew that...and the war had changed her for the worse. But it seemed so strange. Catherine couldn’t imagine Rhea being tortured that way. Then again, maybe she just didn’t want to think of it. “She seems happy here,” Catherine said, only because she had no other response.

“Rhea wants to live in solitude. All that transpired in the past decade...” Seteth trailed off, his hands absent-mindedly running over the scales of his wyvern. “She thinks herself a monster.”

“I think she’s being dumb, if what you’re saying is true. Nobody’s blaming her...right? I thought all that church-hate stuff was over with.”

“There have been...hecklers,” Seteth admitted. “But she is not running from them, per se. She simply thinks everyone is better off with her living in isolation. But is that not what caused her to go mad in the first place?”

“It’s different now, with Sothis and Byleth being around,” Catherine said. “Maybe she’s really happy this way.”

“She isn’t. She doesn’t know what happiness is anymore.” Seteth sounded frustrated, so Catherine shut her mouth. He knew Rhea better than Catherine did, and he’d been through more with her. Of course it would hurt him to see Rhea punishing herself. Catherine gave Seteth a pat on the shoulder, and for once, his body seemed more pliant. “I won’t make her take back the position of Archbishop. I would never ask her to do so. She...she  _ has _ caused people pain. I know that. But Rhea deserves happiness, Catherine. And I want to thank you for coming to see her. You are the only visitor other than me who has been invited to see her.”

Catherine scratched her head. “Really? I knew it was bad, but...nobody? At all?”

“No one. I am glad to see she is being more selfish,” Seteth said, chuckling. Catherine wished she could have seen his face. “You know, Catherine, you two are not so subtle, and I am no fool.”

“Huh?” Seteth didn’t respond. Catherine looked out at the canyon, trying to recognize the landmarks. It seemed like they were getting closer to the cottage, but—wait. What did Seteth just say? “Hold on, Seteth. Are you trying to tell me...”

“The walls in the cottage are sturdy, but no wall is truly soundproof,” Seteth said tiredly. “Please keep that in mind when you and Rhea retire for the night.”

“Seteth, I’m not gonna lie, hearing you say this kinda makes me wanna throw myself onto Thunderbrand.”

“That would be very unfortunate, but at the very least, my ears would be safe tonight.”

“I can’t even tell if you’re joking...”

Seteth made a sound that might have been a snort, but Catherine couldn’t tell. Catherine was sweating like hell, but she was happy she was in Zanado. Staying there forever...it might have been said semi-seriously the night before, but Catherine wouldn’t have minded it. Waking up every day to Rhea, sparring until they couldn’t help kissing each other, making love until supper. Or something like that.

“Catherine,” Seteth said suddenly.

“Huh? What?”

“There are footprints.” Seteth pulled on the reins of his wyvern, and it stopped, its wings flapping gently. Catherine leaned over its side to look at the dirt; sure enough, there were four sets of footprints. “We’re very close to the cottage...”

Catherine swallowed. “So, what? Probably just some travellers, Seteth. Rhea’s not the only one who walks through Oghma.”

Seteth continued on, but his heels were digging into the wyvern’s sides, making their pace more urgent. Catherine looked down at the dirt, watching the footprints pass until she got dizzy. Then came the hill, right before the cottage, and the footprints began to go down it.

“Catherine, draw your sword,” he commanded.

“Seteth, she’s—”

“I knew it,” he said. “Keep your head level, Catherine.”

“My head is level, she’s fine.”

Seteth’s wyvern landed a few yards away from the cottage. Catherine held Thunderbrand in her hand, and Seteth carried his lance with stiff hands as they approached.

The door was wide open.

“Halt,” Seteth roared, charging into the entrance. Catherine followed behind him, looking around the cottage wildly. It was quiet, like the aftermath of a storm. The water pitcher Rhea had filled that morning was knocked to the floor, the single chair was overturned, and there were dishes broken and scattered.

“Gods,” Catherine exclaimed. “Come on, let’s check the bedroom.”

Seteth stood frozen for a moment, but continued down the hallway. The bedroom door was open, too; just as Catherine had expected (hoped?), Rhea was on the floor of the bedroom, a silver sword by her side. Catherine ran to crouch by her, her heart pounding in her chest. She put her hand to Rhea’s arm, afraid that she’d be cold, that they were far too late; but her skin was warm. At Catherine’s touch, she stirred, but only with a weak moan.

“Rhea,” Seteth cried. She was face-down, and when he lifted her into his arms, Catherine saw the bruises on her face. “Goddess, no...! I knew it. I knew she would—why didn’t she listen?”

“Seteth, calm down. She’ll be okay,” Catherine said. Seteth was panicking, which was so rare that it made Catherine afraid. But if Seteth wasn’t going to man up, she had to. “There’s a healing spring somewhere near here. If I can just remember where it is—”

“I’d be better off healing her here than relying on your shoddy sense of direction,” Seteth snapped.

“That’s stupid! Fine, how about I man the wyvern, and you can heal her as we fly,” Catherine said. Seteth looked down at Rhea’s face again, but Catherine couldn’t bear to see it. “Come on, let’s go, before whoever it is comes back.”

Stiffly, but with urgency, Seteth carried Rhea’s limp body to the front of the cottage. Catherine took the reins of the wyvern, and they set out upon Zanado. Seteth was breathing hard, Catherine could hear him. She wanted to turn and comfort him, but she had to focus on finding the healing spring first. She might have been able to remember the directions in a less harried state, but her mind was spinning. Rhea was near-death behind her, bloodied and bruised, and her life was relying on Catherine.

_ A left at the split in the dirt, then a right...a right where? Damn it... _

“Catherine, what are you doing?!” Seteth asked. It had only been ten minutes of travel, but that felt like hours when they were both panicking. “Turn around and return to the cottage, now. Better yet, head for the monastery.”

“She doesn’t want to go there! I’m not taking her there if she doesn’t want to go,” Catherine debated. “Look, just...just shut up, Seteth. Let me focus.”

Seteth turned back to Rhea, and Catherine heard her groan. She didn’t dare turn around, focusing on the canyon in front of her. The sun was nowhere near setting, and it was beating down on her backs as they flew. 

After a few more minutes, Catherine noticed a familiar-looking indent in the canyon in the distance. She flew towards it, and as she grew closer, she came to recognize it as the spring. Seteth sighed in relief as they entered it; Catherine didn’t bother leaving the wyvern outside.

“Hurry, hurry,” Seteth insisted, as Catherine grounded the wyvern near the water’s edge. As soon as the beast had settled, Seteth handed Rhea off to Catherine, who started to walk into the water, fully-clothed. 

Once she was in the deepest part, she sat, making sure to keep Rhea’s head above the water. Rhea’s eyes were mostly-lidded, but Catherine could see the smallest sliver of seafoam there. Catherine soaked her hand in the water and rubbed it across Rhea’s face, trying to wash her of the dried blood that was there. The fabric of Rhea’s gown was sticking to her, and Catherine wanted to take it off, but Seteth would have certainly objected.

“You’re alright,” Catherine whispered. She wasn’t the most comforting person, but Rhea knew she was loved. “You’re fine, Rhea.”

Rhea shifted in her arms, inhaling deeply. Her eyes started to flutter open, and Catherine looked down at her, watching the deep purples on her face fade as the water touched them. Rhea tried to sit up, then flinched, going rigid in Catherine’s grasp. “I-I can barely move...”

“That’s fine. Don’t move. Tell me where it hurts.”

“Mother will take care of me,” Rhea said, weakly.

Catherine stared down at her incredulously, and Seteth cleared his throat. “The spring, she means.”

_ Right. The spring. _ Rhea closed her eyes again, and Catherine started to gently massage her wounds beneath the water. They closed up, leaving only the faintest of scars. Rhea’s face still looked tired, empty, but when she opened her eyes again, they seemed more lively. “I hardly remember what happened...I was in bed, waiting for you, Catherine...” Catherine didn’t dare turn to look at Seteth’s face. “And then I heard footsteps. I had no time to grab the Sword of Seiros. Please tell me...is it still there? That’s a gift from Mother...”

“We did not look for it, but you had it hidden away, right? I doubt it is gone,” Seteth said. “Who were they, Lady Rhea? Who was it?”

“Four men.” Rhea’s face was pained. “Heretics. I don’t know from where they came, but they...they hated me...”

“Never mind,” Seteth said quickly. “We can discuss it later. I’m sorry to have brought it up, my lady. Catherine, stay here. I’ll leave you with your sword. I’ll return to the cottage and scout the area.”

Seteth got on his wyvern and left, groceries and all. Catherine was alone with Rhea, staring into her wide eyes. “I shouldn’t have went,” Catherine said, more to herself than to Rhea. “If I’d have been there, they would have all met their maker, Rhea. I promise you that.”

“I lament my own weakness. I seem like quite the fool now, insisting upon taking care of myself...and here I am.”

“They caught you off-guard. If you had your blade, it would have been different,” Catherine said. She sat Rhea up a bit, so that Rhea was sitting in her lap. Rhea still seemed so frail; she looped her arms around Catherine’s neck to keep herself upright. “Those bastards. They were probably looking through your mail, too. Maybe they were trying to deter Seteth from coming...? There’s no telling. Rhea, you would be safer at the monastery.”

“I’m happier in Zanado,” Rhea repeated.

Catherine sighed. She didn’t want to argue with Rhea, not in circumstances like those, but she had no choice. “Are you? Why would you be happy here, anyway? It’s lonely, and there are so many bad memories here. Staying here would do nothing but hurt you.”

“Catherine, my love. You’re so noble, thinking of me in all that you say and do,” Rhea said. It didn’t sound like a compliment. “But, why? Your devotion to me, your  _ love _ for me; is it truly deserved? Or did you give it to me so freely, so mindlessly, like everyone else? Answer me honestly.”

“What the hell does that mean? I love you, Rhea. I always have,” Catherine said. Rhea opened her mouth, but Catherine hushed her. “No, listen. Last time we were here, when we were in the spring, I heard you out. You said people always looked up to you instead of seeing you for who you were. Maybe I was like that before now. But I’m starting to understand you more lately, and I’m seeing the real you. You’re emotional, sometimes just irrational, and passionate about the things you care about. I love that, because, hell, I’m the same way. I love  _ you. _ And you don’t deserve to be alone, Rhea. You don’t deserve  _ this. _ No matter what mistakes you’ve made.”

“I can’t return to the monastery. You have to understand that. That place is sacred to me, to Seteth, to all of the people who truly believed in Sothis. And I tarnished it. If I were forgiven, then why did everything that transpired today happen?”

Catherine placed her forehead against Rhea’s. Hers was moist with sweat, Rhea’s with holy water. Their eyes met, and Rhea’s gaze suddenly seemed stronger. “I don’t care if you hate me. Seteth’s right. You can’t stay here. If you want to punish yourself, then do it at the monastery.”

“I would never hate you,” Rhea said. “Not unless you left me alone.”

“I told you the day I got here that I’d go where you wanted me to go.”

“But that was before, right? You see me differently now, don’t you?”

“I do,” Catherine admitted. “I’m not being loyal to you just for the hell of it. I never was, but now...I want to be by your side, Rhea. Always. If you insist on staying Zanado, then I’ll be here. Forever. And, no, I didn’t say that without thinking. Whatever demons you have to wrestle with, they’re mine, too.”

Rhea’s eyes slipped shut, but Catherine’s remained open, watching as Rhea’s lips came toward hers. Rhea was sensitive, frail, and Catherine was afraid to kiss her back for fear of her breaking. Rhea was not shy, though, letting Catherine know her feelings through her kisses. The water stirred as Rhea sat up taller, trying harder to reach Catherine. Catherine pulled back, suddenly, looking down at Rhea with a demanding eye. “If I return to the monastery, Catherine, it will hurt. More than anything. I will know every day I am there that I do not deserve it.”

“I’ll be there to make it all worthwhile,” Catherine said. “I won’t force you, Rhea. I can’t. I told Seteth the same thing; you’re the only one who truly knows what you want. But you’re overthinking it. Seteth, Flayn, Byleth...they’re all there. And believe it or not, there are people that love you. Not like I do, or like Seteth does, but they believe in you and look up to you. So, please, Rhea. Think about it.  _ Really _ think about it. And whatever decision you come to...I’ll accept it. But if you don’t want me to say things without thinking, then you shouldn’t either.”

“I will think about it, then...but my answer may not change.”

Catherine ended the conversation there. No matter how much she argued or pled her point, Rhea might have been set in her ways. Instead of arguing, Catherine set about massaging Rhea’s wounds, washing the blood away and closing them up. “I hope Seteth doesn’t get lost on his way back.”

“He may not know Zanado as well as I do, but he has an excellent sense of direction,” Rhea said. Her voice was faint, but still attentive. “If he gets lost, will you carry me back?”

“Without a doubt,” Catherine said. Rhea let out a laugh, under her breath. “Go ahead, fall asleep.”

Rhea didn’t respond, instead closing her eyes and curling into Catherine’s arms. Catherine stared into the water, wondering what it would feel like to be back at the monastery, this time not  _ for _ Rhea, but  _ with _ her. Catherine had built a fantasy around Zanado in those two nights, but if it went somewhere else, she wouldn’t have minded, so long as Rhea was there.

The sun was beginning to lower itself when Seteth returned, his wyvern unloaded and undoubtedly exhausted. Rhea lifted her head instantly when he came back, making Catherine wonder if she’d ever fallen asleep in the first place. “How are you doing, Rhea?”

“Fine, now, Seteth. A bit tired,” Rhea said. “If we could return to the cottage...”

Catherine was still pouring water onto Rhea, wherever she felt it was needed. “Don’t you want to soak a little longer? Just to be sure?”

Rhea shook her head. “I’ll be fine. I really need to rest. My wounds are faded, now.”

Seteth cleared his throat, and Catherine turned to him with a glare. “Do not push her, Catherine.”

“Says you! ‘Please come back to the monastery, Archbishop Rhea, pretty please’,” Catherine mocked.

“Please, be nice to one another,” Rhea said. Catherine almost felt embarrassed, before she saw the smile on Rhea’s face. “Catherine, if you would help me out of the spring...”

Catherine stood, Rhea in her arms. She was a bit heavier when she was wet, but Catherine carried her easily...and happily. Catherine climbed onto the back of the wyvern, and Seteth took them back to the cottage. Just like Rhea had said, he knew where he was going, guiding the wyvern with certainty. Rhea didn’t fall asleep again, Catherine could tell, but she still laid back against Catherine silently. Usually, when they were outside, Catherine would catch Rhea staring out at the canyons, up at the sky, but Rhea kept her eyes shut the whole ride home.

When they arrived at the cottage, Rhea’s eyes slowly opened, before Catherine or Seteth even said anything. As if she knew. “Can you walk, or should I carry you?”

Catherine was only joking, but Rhea responded meekly, “Carry me, please.” Seteth seemed a tad jealous, but Catherine obeyed the archbishop with love, carrying her into the cottage like she would carry her over the threshold in a wedding. Once they entered the cottage, Rhea requested to sit in the living room. “I would like to talk to both of you for a moment. I feel as if there are a few things that must be said.”

“More than a few,” Seteth said. 

Catherine sat on the edge of the table while Seteth stood, arms folded. Rhea sighed. “Seteth, I beg of you. Do not look at me with such downcast eyes. I understand that my carelessness got me into this situation, however—”

“I do not blame you, Lady Rhea,” Seteth corrected. “I merely blame myself for allowing this to happen. I saw the signs, and I ignored them.”

“You didn’t ignore them, Seteth,” said Catherine. “Rhea made her own decisions, and unfortunately, this is how it turned out. I hate to put it that way, but...”

“You’re right.” Rhea shut her eyes, carefully considering her next words. “Once again, I know that it was my carelessness that caused this. But I was very, very conflicted, Seteth. I hope you understand that. In my heart, I do want to be at the monastery. But simultaneously, my heart has not earned the right to its desires. That is why I chose to remain at Zanado. However...even I have wondered if I was, perhaps, to callous to myself. Admittedly, that is why I invited you, Catherine.”

Catherine raised her eyebrows. “Really? I’m not quite sure I follow.”

Rhea smiled, putting her hand over Catherine’s on the table. Had she forgotten that Seteth was there? “It was entirely selfish. At first, I...I thought that you might not come. But you did. And I enjoyed myself more than I had allowed myself to enjoy anything in so, so long. And even if I do not deserve it—I will not argue the point with you any longer, so do not attempt it—I want to be happy with you, Catherine. So long as you are here, I will allow myself to be selfish.”

“Excuse me,” Seteth said, his voice urgent. “Is that—do you mean—Lady Rhea...!”

“I will return to the monastery, so long as Catherine agrees to—”

“Yes,” Catherine said, immediately. 

Rhea laughed. “At least let me finish, Catherine!”

“You don’t have to. Wherever you go, I’ll go, and that’s a fact. Just say the word,” Catherine said.

Seteth let out a cry of joy. Had Catherine ever seen him show that much emotion? “Goddess, this is a dream come true! I must begin preparations at once! Worry not, Lady Rhea, your room is still unattended—even Byleth would not take it from you. But there must be a festival! Yes, I must begin planning immediately. But we will return to the monastery tonight.”

“Don’t wet yourself, Seteth...”

Seteth turned to Catherine, and Catherine expected a scolding, but instead, Seteth shook her hand. “I don’t know what you did, or what you said. Frankly, I do not care. But, Catherine, you returned Rhea to the monastery, where she belongs, and I will forever be grateful to you for that.”

“I didn’t do anything but show up, really.”

Rhea stood, hugging Catherine tightly. She had definitely forgotten Seteth was there. “You’ve done much more for me than that,” Rhea said. Then, she turned to Seteth. “We may return to the monastery tonight. However, I ask that you allow me some privacy, Seteth, and not inform anyone of my return until tomorrow. That includes Byleth. Is that possible?”

“Whatever you wish, Lady Rhea,” Seteth said. “I will start packing your things, posthaste!”

Seteth hurried off to the bedroom, and Catherine shook her head. “He’s like a little kid. It’s sort of cute.”

“Catherine,” Rhea said, her voice suddenly serious. 

“Yeah? What’s up?”

“...I’m glad we’ll have the night to ourselves at the monastery.”

Rhea was looking down at her bare feet, bashful. Catherine caught on to what she was trying to say, and laughed quietly. “All you’ve been through today, and you can still only think of one thing, huh?”

“I was overwhelmed with joy when I saw your face again after the attack,” Rhea admitted. “Perhaps I let it go too far...”

“That wasn’t a complaint. But let’s take things easy tonight, okay?”

They whispered amongst themselves as Seteth quickly ran throughout the cottage, packing up as much of Rhea’s things as he could. However, he had brought so many supplies for her that bringing it all back in one trip was impossible. “Please, take only what we need for now, Seteth,” Rhea reminded. “Do you not have pity for your wyvern?”

Seteth didn’t seem to have much pity at all, but he still stopped packing, loading the sacks that he’d already prepared. Rhea seemed reluctant to leave the cottage, but the emotion was so subtle that Catherine might have imagined it. Catherine was wary about traveling at night, especially with Rhea, but the monastery wasn’t too far. Rhea was looking out at Zanado as they flew, turning left and right and up and down to take in every inch. Catherine couldn’t help but wonder what she was thinking. 

Catherine leaned into Rhea, her voice low so Seteth wouldn’t hear her. “Whenever you want to come back, I’ll come with you,” Catherine murmured.

Rhea said nothing, but smiled and reached for Catherine’s hand. 

Catherine held it until they got to the monastery. It was dark, which made it easier for them to slip in unnoticed. It looked the same, Catherine thought. Like she hadn’t left at all. It was much more grand than the little hinky-dink shack in Nowheresville, Faerghus that she had been calling home.

“It’ll feel weird to settle down,” Catherine admitted, as they climbed the stairs to the upper floor. “I’ve been roaming around for years now.”

“You were a wild child when you resided here. Of course, nothing has changed,” Seteth said. They walked to Rhea’s room, with Seteth lugging bags of clothing. The only thing Rhea was carrying was her sword. “I’ve held the key to this room personally, Lady Rhea. Not even Byleth has set foot in here. I come in here occasionally to dust. I am glad I did! It would have been—”

“Seteth,” Rhea said.

“—but asking someone else to clean here would be preposterous. A room like this—”

“Seteth.”

“—only by me. Byleth has requested to assist me, and I humbly declined. I cannot entrust such a task to just—”

“Seteth!”

Seteth paused, turning to Rhea in surprise. “Er...yes?”

“I’m quite tired, Seteth. I would like the chance to rest.”

“Ah, yes, of course,” Seteth affirmed. “I will be on my way. Catherine, I’ll show you to your room—”

“She will be sleeping with me tonight,” Rhea said. Seteth shot Catherine a look, and Catherine threw up her hands. “It would make me feel...safer.”

Seteth’s face softened. “Right. Of course. I will leave you two, then.” Seteth turned to Catherine, and gave her the slightest nod, handing her the sacks of clothing. “Catherine. Do not disappoint me.”

“Good  _ night, _ Seteth,” Rhea said. She took the key to her room from his hand, unlocking the door with finality. Catherine followed her in, looking around the room with awe. She had only been there once before, when Rhea had requested her presence years ago, but it still looked exactly the same. Rhea walked around it, stripping herself of her boots and letting her bare feet touch the floor. Catherine merely stood by the door and watched her. “It feels the same, but different. What changed?”

“You’re probably a hell of a lot less stressed, compared to the last time you were here.”

“And twice as happy,” Rhea said. She eyed her bed with want, but turned to the sacks of clothing Seteth had brought instead. “So much clutter...I must confess, an untidy room makes me uneasy after living off of so little for five years. Would you help me unpack these?”

Rhea pulled everything out of the bag and handed it off to Catherine, who started to messily pack it away into Rhea’s drawers. It was mostly clothes, although Seteth was indiscriminate when packing. Books, trinkets, accessories, and even some food items were all haphazardly thrown into sacks. There was so much stuff, Catherine wondered where Seteth got it all from; Rhea’s house had been so tiny. The pile of stuff started to look familiar, and Catherine realized that they were all objects from the shopping trip they had done earlier.

As Catherine was placing books onto Rhea’s shelves, she heard an interested hum from Rhea. “Catherine, do you know what this is? Is it a weapon of some sort...?”

“It’s all your stuff, isn’t it? You should recognize it,” Catherine said. She turned around to see the mystery item. Her face went cold. 

Rhea was holding the phallus Catherine had purchased in the market.

She was borderline fondling it, with the way she held it. Her pointer finger bent the long end curiously, and her eyebrows shot up. “What is this?”

“Uh, Rh-Rhea, you should give that back to me,” Catherine said. After the day’s events, she felt kind of silly, purchasing a sex toy. She had forgotten about it in all of her panic. Why the hell did Seteth pack it in Rhea’s things? Did he not know what it was either? 

Catherine stuck her hand out, but Rhea kept holding it, inspecting it. Catherine felt as if she had corrupted a child. “This belongs to you, then? Could you explain it to me?”

“Not tonight, it’s nothing for you to worry about.”

“You do not need to mince your words with me,” Rhea said, pouting. “Please, explain to me what it is.”

For a brief moment, Catherine wondered if Rhea  _ did _ know what it was, and was feigning stupidity for the sake of it. However, there was blatant curiosity on her face, and the way she was holding it was somewhat awkward. She definitely didn’t know what it was. “Look,” Catherine sighed. She sat cross-legged on the floor next to Rhea, taking the toy from her. She held it in its upright position, then pointed to the bulb of the “L” shape. “This part goes in...um...the woman who wants to act like the man, I guess. And the other end goes in the other woman. You see? It’s for two women—or a woman and a man, I guess—so that the woman can have...uh...”

“A penis,” Rhea finished.

“Yes, Rhea, a penis,” Catherine said quickly. She loved Rhea to pieces, but her vocabulary could use a little work. “Yes. That. Okay. Sorry, I really don’t know how it got in this bag. It’s mine, so I’ll just—”

“Why did you acquire it?”

“I don’t know. Impulse.” Rhea’s cheeks were pink. “You’ve had a long day. You’re tired. Let’s save this for another night.”

“No,” Rhea said. Catherine was shocked by her bluntness. “I would like to...try this. Together. Have you used it with someone before?”

“I only bought it earlier today.”

“So, you were thinking of me when you got it? Unless I am mistaken,” Rhea said. She was aware of what she was doing, then. “Who did you imagine...which one of us had the—”

“Rhea, please, I’m begging you, don’t say penis again. Dick, cock, anything but penis,” Catherine said. Rhea seemed upset at being corrected, so Catherine decided to humor her. “If it really matters, I figured I would be the one.”

Rhea nodded. “If it were you...you would be ‘fucking’ me, correct?”

Catherine felt an uncomfortable twist in her gut. Rhea was looking at her so candidly, as if a question like that required an answer. “You don’t like words for anything else, but you don’t mind saying ‘fuck’,” Catherine chuckled. “That’s cute.”

“Does it arouse you when I speak that way?” Rhea moved closer to Catherine. Catherine set the toy down, feeling ridiculous for having it in her hand. Rhea crawled into her lap, holding Catherine’s face in her hands. “Would you enjoy it if I asked, or if I begged you, to fuck me?” The mood was suddenly serious. Catherine looked into Rhea’s eyes, watching as her pupils dilated. “I am not beneath it, Catherine. I would plead with whatever filthy language you preferred, if only you would  _ fuck  _ me—”

Catherine cut Rhea off with a kiss, so rough that Rhea nearly fell backwards. Rhea was surely still weak, still tired from her ordeal, but she had asked for it, and Catherine had to deliver. Rhea was probably already wet. Catherine had been waiting for so long, much longer than her time in Zanado, to ravage Rhea. She had no idea how long Rhea had been waiting, but if it was anything like Catherine imagined, it was unbearable.

When they pulled away, Rhea started to kiss Catherine’s neck, affectionate and desperate. “Rhea, you’re insatiable,” Catherine sighed. “That healing spring must have done one hell of a job.”

“The only scars I have are far from physical,” Rhea said, her lips still on Catherine’s throat. Catherine wondered if Rhea felt her swallow. Catherine couldn’t imagine it, resting in your home, peacefully, unbothered, only to be assaulted by people who had never even met you. Rhea was acting fine, but how could she be? “Heal them for me, Catherine. Take me to our bed.”

“Our” bed. Catherine couldn’t resist her when she said it like that. With little effort, Catherine lifted her up and placed her on the bed. They kissed again, but Catherine couldn’t help but notice that as they did, Rhea’s hand was snaking down to her panties. She whimpered needily into Catherine’s lips as her fingers caressed her slit through the fabric of her underwear. Catherine mumbled, “Tell me what you want me to do for you, Rhea.”

“My interests are quite clear, aren’t they?”

“The toy? Hm...” Catherine glanced backwards at it, then back at Rhea. “Is that what you really want?” Rhea nodded, no hesitation. Catherine climbed off of the bed, plucked the toy off of the floor. She had to dig through the bag to find the bottle of oil that had come with it, but once she did, she returned to the bed, looking down at Rhea with uncertainty. “This might hurt a bit. Have you ever put something inside of yourself before?”

“Only my fingers,” Rhea said. “But...it’s quite wet. I think I'll be alright."

"I guess I should do my end first," Catherine said. Rhea undressed as she spoke, removing her soiled underwear and her gown. Catherine did the same, but kept her eyes on Rhea. She'd seen her naked body before, in the hot spring, but it was no longer out of her reach. Rhea was hers for the taking, at last. 

Catherine uncapped the bottle of oil, lathering both ends with it. Rhea looked on with amazement, watching Catherine's hands as they twisted and turned around the polished wood of the bulb and the shaft attached to it. Once it was glistening in the light of the lamp, Catherine parted her legs, sitting back. Rhea had a full-frontal view of it all.

It was a bit wider than Catherine was used to, but the feeling of the dildo pushing past her entrance was almost cathartic. She was wet, too, and it slid in with so little resistance. Her head lolled back with pleasure. "Amazing," Rhea whispered.

"I thought you'd like watching that," Catherine said. "It's a pretty tight fit. I guess that's good, though. It'd be pretty awkward if this thing came out in the middle of it all.” Rhea was looking at the exposed end of the toy with glazed eyes. Then, she looked up at Catherine. “Looks can kill, huh? I guess you’ve waited long enough. I’m a little worried, though, with you doing something like this right after...earlier.”

Rhea reached up to place her hands on Catherine’s shoulders, pulling her down. They hugged, chest to chest. The long end of the toy was between Rhea’s legs, right where Rhea wanted it to be. Rhea pet Catherine so lovingly, so slow that Catherine wanted to fall asleep atop her. But she had a job to do before she was getting any rest that night. “I want you inside of me, Catherine,” Rhea said. “Please.”

“You’ve gotta be lying about not doing this before. Either that or you spent all your time in Zanado learning how to dirty talk,” Catherine said. Rhea laughed against her ear, but her laugh turned into a gasp when Catherine pushed inside her. She wanted so badly to hug Rhea back, but she had to spread Rhea’s legs with her hands. Rhea held onto her, tight, whimpering and whining as Catherine’s faux cock stretched her open. “You are pretty loud, aren’t you? Glad we didn’t do this with Seteth around.”

“C-Catherine,” Rhea cried. Catherine had to stop, to contain herself. Goddess, how she longed to fuck Rhea into the bed, to make her  _ scream. _ Those sounds she was making...Catherine could hardly hold back. “More. I want more, Catherine...!”

“So eager,” Catherine said, shaking her head. Her hips moved forward, the bulge inside of her shifting. It was nothing compared to what Rhea was feeling, but they felt connected. When Catherine moved, she felt it just like Rhea did. 

They were skin-against-skin when Catherine was in to the hilt. Rhea lifted her legs, pulled Catherine in close, but loosened her grip when she realized Catherine wouldn’t be able to move. When Catherine was released, she started up a slow, rhythmic pace, feeling the bulb moving inside of her as she did. Rhea was so wet, coating the toy in her slick in no time. Catherine wanted to taste her, to lick her until she cried, but they were going to be together for a long, long time. They had love to spare.

“How does it feel, Rhea?”

Catherine lifted her head so that she could see Rhea’s face, watch the pleasure roll across it. She had her eyes shut, not tight, but enough to let Catherine know that the feeling was absorbing her. “It feels...amazing,” Rhea said. “It doesn’t hurt as much as you made it sound like it would...”

“Good. I’m glad it feels good. Do you like how I’m doing it now?”

“It’ll feel better if you—if you go a little faster.”

A dangerous request. Catherine didn’t want to release her wild side at its fullest, but Rhea was nearly asking for it. She still paced herself, though, giving Rhea more thrusts in less time. Rhea let go of Catherine, knowing her grip was too strong, and settled for the bedsheets. The bedsheets that Rhea had already soiled, her juices mixing with the oil and dripping off of the toy. Catherine was only stirring her up more.

There was so much of her, glowing in the light of the lamp and glimmering with sweat, that Catherine had never seen before. She’d never gotten the chance, until then, to see Rhea at her  _ most _ vulnerable, her  _ most _ needy, her  _ most _ satisfied. It was intoxicating. Her lips, the column of her neck, her heavy breasts that rocked with every thrust, the strong flat of her stomach...Catherine found herself overwhelmed, trying to take it all in.

But she focused her attention on Rhea’s pleasure, the most important thing. “You’re a good girl, Rhea. You deserve this, don’t you?”

“C-Catherine, don’t,” Rhea said. “Please, just keep going...”

“I won’t stop, don’t worry,” Catherine said. Rhea pulled Catherine back down so she could hide her face.  _ Fine, have it your way. _ “I won’t stop because I love you. I want you to be happy, Rhea, I want you to feel good. You want it, too, don’t you? I’m so glad I get to make you feel this good.”

“I-I am, too, but Catherine—”

Catherine increased her pace, releasing Rhea’s leg so that she could grab Rhea’s hand. Rhea took it and held on tight. Her moans got louder, and louder. The cries of Catherine’s name seemed to be unintelligible at that point. It was unfair, for Rhea to be that sexy, that  _ alluring, _ when Catherine was trying to hold herself back. She couldn’t. “I love you, Rhea. So, so much.”

Rhea started to scratch at Catherine’s torso again, her nails raking down Catherine’s back as she fought to get a grip on herself. Catherine kissed her, but only briefly, so that she could hear Rhea’s sounds of pleasure again. She was fucking Rhea to the hilt, rejoicing in every little bit of stimulation she got to her clit. The bulb inside of her wasn’t enough, she needed to be touched, but she could feel Rhea getting closer. She was willing to wait, if it meant watching Rhea come undone.

“So good, so good, don’t stop,” Rhea whispered. “Catherine, I love you, don’t stop, please.”

“I won’t. I’ve got you.”

“Please, I’m...” Rhea shuddered, but it wasn’t enough. Catherine wanted to push her over the edge, to give her what she’d earned. 

Rhea put one hand in Catherine’s hair, and the other went between Catherine’s legs. For a moment, Catherine thought it was merely a desperate attempt at getting more of the toy inside of her, but it was quite different. Her fingers sought out Catherine’s clit, caressing it in tight circles. Catherine hissed, shockingly loud, but Rhea didn’t stop. 

Rhea’s hand stayed on Catherine, even as her thrusts became more frantic and the toy between them became wetter. Rhea opened her eyes again, looking into Catherine’s with a pleading expression.  _ Please give me more, please cum for me, please love me. _ Catherine couldn’t deny her. Her hips were starting to get sore, she was moving so fast and with such vigor. She needed it as much as Rhea did. It felt like it would never be enough.

But it was. Catherine felt her legs tense, and she had to struggle to keep thrusting, but then Rhea started to moan and shake beneath her. There was a flood of wetness between them as she thrusted, coating Rhea’s hand and the sheets and the toy. “Fuck, Rhea,” Catherine groaned. “Gods...”

Rhea made an indescribable sound, one so full of love and desperation that it made Catherine’s heart swell. She wanted to fuck Rhea forever, to see her face like that whenever she wanted. Rhea was so beautiful like that, when she was up so high that she didn’t care if Catherine saw it. Catherine was seeing stars, grinding her hips against Rhea’s hand and moving the dildo inside the both of them.

It was a slow, addictive coast to the end of their climaxes, with every little movement leading to a want for more. Catherine was caught off-guard when Rhea put a hand on her shoulder, weakly signalling her to stop.

“No more?” Catherine said. She hadn’t gotten that sweaty since their spar.

“For the moment,” Rhea affirmed. “I...I need to regroup...”

“Trust me, I know the feeling,” Catherine said. She settled on top of Rhea, hoping that her full weight wasn’t too much. Rhea began to idly pet her again. “Don’t do that...I might fall asleep with this thing still in you. I have a feeling that’s not good.”

“It is quite pleasant, as of now. It almost feels—this is so ridiculous of me, I know it—but it feels like we fit with one another.”

“Heh. You’ve got the right idea.” Catherine let Rhea caress her for a few more moments, but then she lifted herself up on her arms, pulling her hips backward. Rhea let out a little grunt when Catherine pulled out; Catherine cringed at the sound of it all. “My bad. Let me get a cloth so I can clean us up. And change the sheets...”

Rhea seemed reluctant to let Catherine go, but didn’t argue, laying back as Catherine gathered a change of linen and wet a cloth. They were both riding quite the high, giggling and joking with one another as they cleaned up. Catherine lifted Rhea into her arms to get her off the bed when they changed the sheets, and she realized that Rhea was right. They  _ did _ fit together.

Catherine finally put out the lamp when they were fairly tidy and comfortable under the blankets. Even with a bed bigger than the one in Zanado, they were still pressed tightly against one another. 

“Tomorrow will be quite busy. I can guarantee you that,” Rhea said. “Seteth will tell everyone that I have returned the moment he deems fit.”

“Let’s just stay up here forever. Nobody can make us leave.”

“And how will we fill that bottomless stomach of yours if we never leave again?”

“Eh. Just tell Seteth to run down to the mess hall and bring me something to eat. He’ll do it if  _ you _ ask.”

“He speaks quite fondly of you when you are not around. He might do it if you ask.”

“I find that hard to believe,” Catherine scoffed. “He’s a stubborn old dog who only does tricks for his owner.”

“If he has an owner, it is Byleth,” Rhea said. Her voice had dipped, so Catherine turned to her. She was looking out of the window, but there were no canyons. Just monastery buildings and the night sky. “I’m no longer the archbishop. I’m no longer anything.”

“That’s not true. You’re—”

Rhea interrupted, “Please, Catherine, listen to me. This is what is best. If I must be here, I merely want to be a bystander. What lessons have I to teach? There are things I have still yet to learn. That’s not to say it will be like this forever. Maybe I can find redemption, somewhere, whether it is here or elsewhere. I will never be as I once was, but I would like to find something better. And I know I cannot do that if I am constantly punishing myself. So I want to start over. I merely want to be Rhea, a woman who has lessons to learn.”

“Well, join the club. We’ve all got lessons to learn. There’s a few things I could...maybe polish up on,” Catherine said. Rhea made a strange noise, and Catherine shot her a look. “Hey, was that a snicker? Don’t be mean, I’m being honest, here! We can both have a little lesson in happiness. I’d say our first assignment is to go to that spring in Zanado and soak in there for hours.”

“Zanado, hm? I did express the desire to return there,” Rhea said. “But when should I? How soon?”

“Let’s not fret over the details right now.” Catherine moved sweaty strands of hair away from Rhea’s face, looking into her eyes. They were so bright, so full of life. “Let’s rest up and prepare for the oversized welcoming banquet Seteth will throw for you tomorrow.”

“Come with me, if what you say is true.”

“It’s definitely true, and I’m definitely going with you.”

“Catherine...”

“Yeah? And, no, I didn’t say that without thinking.”

Rhea laughed. “No, I was not going to suggest you did. I just wanted to say...thank you. For responding to my letter and coming to see me. And, good night.”

Rhea shut her eyes, curling up to Catherine’s side. Catherine’s heart raced as she thought of it all. Trekking through the canyons to get to Rhea, sitting with her in the hot springs, sparring with her behind the cottage, pouring holy water into her wounds. It was all so magical, like a dream come true. A storm of luck.

Catherine held Rhea tight in her arms, and fell asleep. She dreamed that they were walking through Zanado, hand in hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I HAVE FEELINGS ABOUT RHEA. THANK YOU THAT IS ALL
> 
> someone else write sequels to this cuz i dont feel like it even tho i like this verse lol.
> 
> seteth: im so glad rhea is back at the monastery  
rhea: goodbye im going to go have wild passionate sex with my new gf for 14 hours

**Author's Note:**

> NO SCENE BREAKS WE DIE LIKE MEN


End file.
